Homemade Ashta (plus a Cheat's Version)
Click here to get my easy homemade ashta recipe for using in Qatayef, Kunafeh, Znoud el Sit and so much more!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 750 ml whole milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (or clear vinegar)
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
- 250 ml whole milk
- 250 ml whipping cream or single cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 60 g salted butter
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water (OR rose water)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the milk in a large saucepan on medium heat to just simmering point. Add the lemon juice and stir well to encourage curdling. Leave the milk on this medium heat to allow it to finish curdling.
- 2
Line a sieve with muslin or cheesecloth and place over a large bowl to catch the whey.
- 3
Strain the curdled milk over the mulsin to catch the curds. Leave to drain while you get on with the cream.
- 4
Mix the cornflour and a little of the milk into a paste in a small bowl.
- 5
Rinse the saucepan and put it back on medium heat and pour the rest of the milk and cream in. Add sugar and salted butter in and stir to mix. Heat this mix up to simmering point, stirring continuosly as you don't want the cornflour to be lumpy.
- 6
When it's simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the mix thickens like a very thick custard. This will take about 3 - 4 minutes, depending on your heat.
- 7
Take it off the heat and transfer to a large bowl and leave it to cool for 10 minutes.If you are making Cheat's Ashta, go to step 2 in the next section, add your flavouring after 10 minutes and chill.
- 8
Tip in the strained curds and whisk to mix well. You will have a slightly grainy mix, that's homemade ashta made this way.
- 9
Stir in the orange blossom water. I like to split the ashta into 2 bowls and flavour one with orange blosson and the other with rose water.
- 10
Leave to cool to room temperature (about 1 hour), then cover with cling film and chill for at least 3 hours. It's best when cold. I tend to make it the day before I need it.
- 11
Mix the cornflour and a little of the milk into a paste in a small bowl (from the 250ml below)
- 12
Pour the 250ml (1 cup) milk and the cream into a saucepan on medium heat. Add sugar and salted butter in and stir to mix. Heat this mix up to simmering point, stirring continuosly as you don't want the cornflour to be lumpy.
- 13
When it's simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the mix thickens like a very thick custard. This will take about 3 - 4 minutes, depending on your heat.
- 14
Stir in the orange blossom water. I like to split the ashta into 2 bowls and flavour one with orange blosson and the other with rose water.
- 15
Leave to cool to room temperature (about 1 hour), then cover with cling film and chill for at least 3 hours. It's best when cold. I tend to make it the day before I need it.