The Oriental Cuisine is well known for its variety of unique desserts which can not be found
elsewhere in the world.
If you are looking forward to trying one, I recommend trying the Egyptian Basbousa bil
ashta
, this incredible semolina cake which is filled with a rich cream layer and soaked with sugar
syrup.
Literally, it takes you to the next level of happiness.
Basbousa bil ashta Story
It is a traditional Middle Eastern Oriental cake primarily made of coarse semolina flour with
a milky luxurious cream filling to end with a fluffy moist cake that pleases your taste buds.
It is considered a main dessert in Ramadan and even all year round.
Its history goes back to the Ottoman Empire, then it became popular in the Middle East
region and too the first place among the dessert recipes in Egypt.
The cream filling of this semolina cake gives it a lovely twist that elevates your mood and
satisfies your feelings to the moon and back.
What is Semolina?
You may find it a little bit strange to hear such a word (Semolina), but simply it is a type of
flour made of durum wheat .
It may be healthier than white flour but take care, it contains gluten as well.
Ingredients of the Egyptian Basbousa bil ashta
To obtain the most fluffy exceptional Egyptian Basbousa bil ashta you need:
Coarse semolina flour (1 cup)
Yoghurt (1 cup)
Sugar (½ cup)
Melted ghee (¾ cup)
Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
Ashta (2 cup)
Simple syrup (½ -1 cup)
Shredded coconut
Vanilla extract
Ashta can be fresh cream or home made cream that will be illustrated later.
How to prepare an easy pleasy Basbousa with ashta?
We will need to prepare the basbousa batter, the simple syrup, and the ashta filling
(homemade cream).
Let's discover basbousa with ashta step by step.
For the basbousa batter, simply you will:
Blend semolina,sugar,coconut,baking powder,and vanilla together (dry mixture)
In another bowl, mix the melted ghee and yoghurt (liquid mixture)
Now, add the liquid mixture to the dry one and blend gently
For the simple syrup for Basbousa bil ashta
Mix 1 cup of sugar with a cup of water
Put on medium heat till you obtain a thick syrup
For flavouring you can add vanilla, orange blossom,lemon drops, and rose
water
For the ashta filling (homemade cream):
Dissolve 4 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1 litre of cold milk
Sweeten with sugar (the amount you prefer)
Put on medium heat with continuous stirring till thickening
Prepare a pan brushed with tahini,oil,or ghee.
To collect the fascinating Basbousa with ashta recipe:
In the pan, put a layer of the basbousa batter in the bottom
Add a layer of your homemade cream
Finally, add the remaining part of the batter on the top
Cut the top like the diamond shape and decorate with nuts if preferred
Bake in a preheated oven (180°C) until the top turns golden brown
Lastly, drizzle 1 cup of hot syrup on the hot Basbousa with ashta.
Cover for 5 minutes or till the basbousa completely absorb the syrup
Let it cool and enjoy the layers of the best Basbousa bil ashta that you will get addicted to.
Also, try the Egyptian Sahlab for a creamy sweet treat.
Basbousa bil ashta using fresh cream
The same previously mentioned method with only one difference as follows:
Bake the basbousa batter alone completely as mentioned
Drizzle with the hot syrup
Let it cool
Add the fresh cream just before eating
Points to be considered:
Don't use fine semolina flour, you will have a different result.
Add the hot syrup to the hot basbousa bil ashta.
Don't make the cream too thick or too watery, try to adjust the consistency in
between.
Don't bake the fresh cream with basbousa.
Brushing the pan with tahini gives the best result in this recipe.
There are about 268 calories in 100 gm in unstuffed plain basbousa and about
366 in 100 gm in basbousa filled with ashta.
The result is a fantastic mouthwatering symphony called Basbousa bil ashta
with its fluffy layers that meet the crunchy nuts on top and its golden shiny surface like a
mirror that you will keep coming back to.
In a word, it is a must try dessert.
For a more unique Egyptian cuisine experience, try Foul mudammas
for breakfast and the delightful Warak Enab, and for desserts the incredible Egyptian Omali recipe
will be more than enough.