Homemade Qashta

Ingredients

• First stage:
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• 1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in a little milk
• Second stage:
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• Final stage:
• 1/2 container liquid cooking cream - optional
• A pinch of rose water
• A pinch of orange blossom water
• Method for making homemade qashta from a cook and friend of the Shou Tabkhin Today website:
• Um Tahe Al-Hamwi
• Click on Um Tahe's name to visit her profile page on our website and enjoy her recipes
• To prepare sweetened condensed milk at home, click this link: Home Method for Making Sweetened Condensed Milk
• To prepare one of the tastiest desserts from Um Tahe's kitchen, here is the link: Maamoul Tart

Method

1. Heat the milk and gradually sprinkle the semolina over it in stages, stirring continuously.
2. Slowly add the starch to the milk as well and mix well until the starch dissolves and the mixture thickens.
3. Pour the mixture into a tray and cover the surface with food‑grade plastic wrap so the top does not dry out or form a skin.
4. In the second stage... place the milk in a pot over heat.
5. When it starts to boil, add the vinegar and let it boil for 5 minutes until the curds float to the surface of the pot.
6. Strain them well, then put the curds in a mixer and beat them until smooth.
7. In the final stage... mix the beaten curds with the semolina‑milk mixture after it has cooled (prepared in the first stage)... you can add liquid cream as well as rose water and orange blossom water and mix.
8. Store the qashta in an airtight container in the refrigerator until it cools completely; it can be kept for up to one week.
9. Umm Taha al‑Hamawi
10. To make sweetened condensed milk at home click this link: How to make sweetened condensed milk at home
11. To make one of the most delicious desserts from Umm Taha's kitchen, here is the link: Maamoul tart