Our Arabic flavor recipe for the Month of April  took us to Nablus! Rania Al Wazani invited us to make Tamriyeh, the popular Nabulsi dessert from scratch.

Last year, in my Romanieh recipe post I took you on a little trip to the old markets of Nablus.
Nablus (sometimes called Nābulus) is a Palestinian city in the northern West-Bank, approximately 63 kilometers (39 mi) north of Jerusalem. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim

When it comes to food, Nablus is a gastronomic heaven,famous for its signiture cheese “the Nabulsi cheese” and its wide array of sweets, ranging from kunafeh, a stringy, cheesy, crispy, sweet, gooey, delicious dessert which defies definition.


To baklava of every variety,Zalabia, Kollaj,  candied pumpkin, Tahini halwa, Tamryieh (which I’m sharing with you today) and all sorts of other sugary treats. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll be very happy in Nablus. And if you don’t, you will soon develop one 🙂

If you have never tried Tamriyeh before, it is basically fried golden pillows of paper thin dough that are filled with a semolina pudding ,scented with mastic and orange blossom water. Tamriyeh is usually served hot (for you to enjoy it before the crust loses its crunch) and it is usually dusted with powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness.

The contrast of the crunchy golden crust vs the velvety smooth filling is irresistible to say the least

There are a number of stories behind the name Tamriyeh, some say that the name was given to the dessert by the chef who created it, in reference to his hometown Tamra. Others say that the name refers to the fact that the pudding is buried in the dough (In arabic bury means طمر “Tamar”)

Regardless of where the recipe gets its name from, it is definitely a treat you need to try 🙂

Tamriyeh

My simple changes to the recipe are in red

Ingredients

For the dough

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup of water (I needed a 2 more tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling

1/2 cup of semolina

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

5 mastic beads crushed with a teaspoon of sugar

For the decoration

1/2 cup powdered sugar

The method

To prepare the dough:

In a stand mixer or a bowl, add the flour, salt and 1/4 cup of water.

Knead until the dough comes together into a soft slightly sticky ball of dough (add more water if needed)

Divide the dough into 2 parts, drizzle with vegetable oil and cover. Allow the dough to rest for  a minimum of 2 hours (you can store the dough in the fridge over night)

Make the filling

In a pot, add the semolina, water, sugar and mastic.

Cook over medium low heat while stirring until the mix thickens and comes to a boil

Add the orange blossom water and take the pudding off the heat

Pour the pudding into a tray, you want the pudding to be about 1 cm thick

Allow the pudding to cool down completely (it will firm up considerably)

Make the Tamriyeh

Drizzle your working surface with a little vegetable oil

Take one piece of dough and roll it or spread it by hand using this method until it is really thin

Divide the rolled dough into 4 parts

Place a square of the chilled filling in the center of each part

spread it slightly with the back of a spoon

Fold the corners of the dough to encase the filling

Fry in preheated oil until golden brown

The tamriyeh pillows will puff up while frying

Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately