Aish - el - Saraya (Lebanese Dessert)

This month recipe challenge of Chefs Across Boundaries was hosted by my very warm and wonderful friend Garima Sarolia Narera (blog link https://cafegarima.wordpress.com/). She chose Lebanese Cuisine. 

I've tries Lebanese food at restaurants but never made it at home. The food is mostly baked, grilled or sauteed. They include a lot of meats, seafood, vegetables and fresh fruits vegetables. 

I did not want to settle with very common recipes and hence had difficulty searching for recipes. Then cast my eye in this wonderful dessert. Archana's Kitchen came to my help for the recipe. 

Aish - el - Saraya is a pudding with sugar soaked rusks layered with sweet, creamy custard. It is eggless and eaten cold. Very inviting for the summers. I loved making this dessert and it was a big hit in my house.

What you need:

For the bottom layer:

1. Rusk - 30 nos
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Water - 1 cup
4. Rose water - 1 tbsp

For the custard:

1. Milk - 500 ml
2. Whipping cream - 300 ml
3. Condensed milk - 1 tin
4. Cornflour - 6 tbsp
5. Rose water - 1 tbsp
6. Chopped badam and pista - 2 tbsp

How to go about it:

1. In a pan, add sugar and water. Boil it until all of the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 5  more minutes and let it cool. 
2. In a tray (I took an 8' aluminium cake tray) arrange one layer of rusk. Pour the warm sugar syrup and then arrange another layer on top and pour the syrup again and let it sit for sometime.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, combine condensed milk, whipping cream, cornflour (mixed with little cold milk), milk. Heat the mixture and keep stirring it until it turns to a think, but pouring consistency. 
4. Once thick, take off the heat and it should be let to cool. 
5. Once lukewarm, mix in the rose syrup and pour this mixture over the assembled rusks. 
6. Add the chopped nuts over the custard. 
7. The Aish - el - Saraya is ready. Let it refrigerate at lease until 4 hours.
8. Serve cold

Njoy with your lived ones...

Luv..

Champa