When I am deciding whether a recipe is worth keeping, I ask if I would gladly serve it again; with Turkish Delight, the answer is yes. It feels festive enough for company and just as welcome on an ordinary afternoon. There is a familiar hospitality in these Middle Eastern flavors that I never tire of. Keep this one close for the days when time is short but a good meal still matters.
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 cups water
- 1 tbs. Lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 10 grams cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped pistachio
- Desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup by boiling 3 cups of sugar, water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for 12 minutes on medium heat. Time it once the syrup starts forming small bubbles.
- In a bigger pot combine 2 cups of pomegranate juice, water, cornstarch and 10 grams of cream of tartar. Stir with no heat until the cornstarch dissolves.
- Place the pomegranate mixture on the stove and start stirring until it thickens. The color will become deeper and glossy.
- Now you will start incorporating the simple syrup slowly, you can’t stop stirring at anytime until you finished all the syrup.
- Now you will cook for 35 minutes stirring non stop until it becomes bubbly and thickened, you know it’s good when it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Add 3/4 cup of roughly chopped pistachios, stir well.
- Add desiccated coconut to the bottom of a rectangular dish. Pour the turkish delight mixture into the dish making sure it’s not too thick, cover the top with extra coconut.
- Leave to cool completely before covering with plastic wrap, place in the fridge overnight.
- Next day slide from dish and cut to desired pieces.
Notes
- Traditional lokum is covered with a mixture of cornstarch and powder sugar. If you like that brush the dish with neutral oil.
- Save the seeds don’t throw them away I will show what you can make with them.