Namoura

Namoura (or basbousa, as it is known in Egypt) is a traditional dessert made from semolina (the flour one typically thinks of for making pasta). It’s a relatively simple dessert with only a few ingredients, but it’s soaked in syrup fragranced with orange blossom water, and includes a little bit of shredded coconut, which gives it a delicate but rich flavour. The texture of namoura is a crisp exterior with a creamy, syrup soaked interior – some are more like cake (made with yogurt), whereas this recipe is more soft and creamy in the centre (it really depends on your preference – we happen to prefer the creamy kind). It’s also egg-free, which means it’s super easy to make vegan / parve (I’ve included two recipes below, one of which is completely vegan) if those things are a concern.

Namoura is certainly not a health food, but it is typically portioned into small slices, meaning even those who don’t typically eat dessert can enjoy a small sweet bite. It is perfect served with dark Turkish coffee with hel (cardamom). Another thing to note is that if you’re not a ‘coconut person’ (like my husband), the taste of coconut is not strong in this dessert, and just adds texture and richness – even my coconut-hating husband approved of these namoura. It’s also important to use unsweetened desiccated coconut as these are soaked in syrup, and so we really don’t need to add any more sugar to the mix!

While medium-grind semolina is preferable for texture (I buy a coarse grind from the Arab supermarket and blitz in my spice grinder) it is often difficult to find in ordinary American supermarkets. You can use semolina flour (like that used for pasta) but the texture will be a bit different – a little denser, but not bad. It’s a very subtle difference that maybe only I would notice, so if you have one variety on hand, don’t worry, your namoura will still be delicious.

Because semolina is high in gluten (which is what makes it great for pasta) this is a batter you do not want to over-mix. You’ll want to pour your semolina and coconut into a bowl, then coat well with your ghee or vegan butter / coconut oil before gently adding the liquid. In the interest of texture, I also use my spice grinder to grind the coconut so that it’s fully integrated into the mix (which is probably why my husband can’t detect the coconut). Additionally, when you pull your namoura from the oven, it might look slightly pale still – don’t worry, once you add your syrup you’ll notice it changes colour – this is a recipe that definitely does not benefit from being overcooked, so once it’s light golden on top you should be good to go.

This is one of our favourite desserts to bring to a party, especially as these are ingredients we always have on hand – so its perfect for a last-minute dessert that looks like it came straight from a Middle Eastern bakery.

VEGAN / PARVE INSTRUCTIONS

To make this nammoura vegan, you’ll want to replace the ghee with 75g coconut oil, melted and 75g vegan ‘butter’. Instead of honey, you’ll want to use either Lyle’s golden syrup (if you’re British), corn syrup (if you’re American) or agave nectar. For the milk any rich non-dairy milk can be used, though I suggest coconut or almond – you can even use water in a pinch, as it doesn’t affect the recipe much.