Mary Markarian’s classic Middle Eastern namourah (or namoura) dessert can best be described as a dense, semolina cake that’s been soaked in simple syrup infused with orange or rose blossom water. The recipe is available at the Sadaf Foods website. “The kitchen is the heart of our home, it’s where we gather the most to eat, cook, laugh, and make memories. My family is originally from Aleppo, Syria. I come from a long line of amazing home cooks, and enjoy sharing my love of cooking with my Facebook and Instagram family and friends. This recipe has been adopted in many countries. This semolina cake is typically baked and contains yogurt, coconut, and butter, topped with almonds, and then soaked in simple sugar syrup,” says Mary. “My recipe comes together in just one bowl – no mixer is required.”
“This dessert is so popular it goes by three different names all over the Levant. The Lebanese call this cake namoura, the Palestinians call it harisseh, and the Egyptians call it basbousa. No matter what you call this cake, the flavor is universally delicious. White flour is not commonly used in the Middle East, so farina and semolina are used to make this cake instead. These flours provide a grainier, almost nuttier texture — all the better to absorb the fragrant simple syrup,” adds Blanche Shaheen at Feast in the Middle East.
Because semolina is high in gluten (which is what makes it great for pasta), this is a batter you do not want to overmix.
Ingredients:
4 cups coarse grain semolina or farina
1 cup sugar
