Layali Lubnan is a delicious and rich Arabian dessert made for festivals. It is made with semolina, cream, rose syrup and nuts. Layali Lubnan is popularly known as Lebanese Nights dessert.

Overview

Lebanese Nights dessert, also known as layali lubnan, is a amazing and aromatic dessert. It is served as a semolina pudding on Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in most parts of South Asia. It is a traditional Muslim festive dessert for celebrations. It is made with a rich semolina pudding, topped with cream garnished with pistachios & rose petals and drizzled with rose syrup. For flavoring agents mostly orange blossom, rose essense, kewra water, vanilla essense, cardamom, saffron are also added, depending on region.

Every family have their own versions of Lebanese Delight dessert. I have sweet memories of my childhood with this delicious dessert as my grandma’s friend used to make this delectable sweet. If you are looking for an easy dessert for hot summer days or maybe for festive season, this dessert is definitely for you.

Tips

I would like to share few tips and tricks for a perfect sheer khurma recipe.

• Please use coarse semolina or rava for this recipe to achieve perfect semolina pudding base.

• Always use full fat or full cream milk to make semolina pudding.

• Traditionally, people use orange blossom for flavoring agent in sugar syrup. If you cannot find orange blossom, use rose water. If you do not wish to use rose water, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of vanilla. you can use any flavoring agent according to your family’s taste.

• Authentically, whipping cream is used as second layer on semolina base. In case, cream is not available, please use tetra pack of cream that is available in market.

• Whipping Cream is perfectly ready to spread on semolina base, when I turn the container upside down, the cream is not falling. That means cream is ready to be spread as second layer.

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Semolina Layer

• Milk - 1/2 liter or 2 1/2 cups
• Semolina or rava or suji - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Rose essence or orange blossom - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1 pinch in little water (optional to give base yellow color)
• Ghee or unsalted butter - 1 tsp

Cream Layer

• Whipping Cream - 100 ml
• Hand blender or whisker

Sugar Syrup

• Water - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Rose essence or orange blossom - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Assembling of Dessert

• Semolina Layer
• Cream Layer
• Sugar Syrup
• Chopped Pistachios
• Rose petals

Instructions

Semolina Layer - Preparation Steps

• Add milk, semolina (rava or suji) and sugar to a pan. Mix and stir continuously otherwise semolina will stick on bottom of pan.

• Add cardamom pods to milk. This step is totally optional.

• Slowly semolina starts to thicken in milk. Add rose water or orange blossom to it. Cook on low to medium flame.

• To give a nice yellow color, I have taken a pinch of turmeric (haldi) and add a little water, mix it. Add turmeric water to milk.

• Add unsaleted butter or ghee (clarified butter).

• Cook until this consistency of semolina or rava is reached.

• I am going to serve in two different ways:
  1. Glasses
  2. Glass Square Container
• Add this semolina (rava) pudding base in serving container when its hot otherwise it will be difficult to set the semolina base.

• Allow the semolina base to cool down.

Cream Layer - Preparation Steps

• Add whipping cream to any container.

• Start whipping the cream with hand blender or manual whisker. After whisking with whisker or handblender, the cream starts to become fluffier.

• Whipping Cream is perfectly ready to spread on semolina base, when I turn the container upside down, the cream is not falling. That means cream is ready to be spread as second layer.

Sugar Sryup - Preparation Steps

• Add equal quantity of water and sugar to pan.

• Add rose essense or any flavoring agent.

• Add lemon juice. Mix well and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

• After 5 to 7 minutes, let the syrup cool down and then take syrup between fingers and notice a single thread is just starting to form. Our sugar syrup is ready.

Assembling of Dessert - Preparation Steps

• When semolina pudding has cool down, add whipped cream on semolina pudding base.

• Garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals.

• Refrigerate the dessert for 4 to 5 hours.

• After 4 to 5 hours, cut the semolina dessert and serve a piece in a small plate. Drizzle sugar sryup on it.

• Lebanese nights dessert taste best when chilled. Enjoy this yummy creamy dessert with your family & friends!