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Baslogh
Baslogh (باسلوق): Tabriz rosewater starch sweet with walnuts
Baslogh is one of the soft confections that fill the sweet shops of Tabriz's covered bazaar, especially before Nowruz and at Ramadan: a pale, wobbly slab of starch cooked in rose-scented syrup, studded with walnuts, cut into squares and dusted so it does not stick. It is related to Turkish lokum but softer and less sweet, eaten with tea in the afternoon. A common mistake is stopping the cooking too early; undercooked baslogh never sets and weeps syrup. Chef's tip: cook until the paste turns translucent and pulls away from the pan in one mass, which takes longer than you expect.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 4 oz cornflour
- 3 cups water
- 12 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp rosewater
- 4 oz walnutsroughly chopped
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper and dust it with some of the 4 tbsp cornflour mixed with icing sugar, for dusting.
3 minStep 2: Whisk the 4 oz cornflour with 300 ml of the 1 ¼ cups water until smooth and lump-free.
2 minStep 3: Put the 12 ½ oz sugar, the rest of the 1 ¾ cups water and the 1 tsp lemon juice in a heavy pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 4: Pour in the cornflour mixture, whisking. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 35–45 minutes. It goes cloudy and thick, then turns glossy, translucent and pale golden, and comes away from the sides in one mass.
40 minStep 5: Stir in the 3 tbsp rosewater, ½ tsp ground cardamom and 4 oz walnuts, and cook 2 minutes more.
2 minStep 6: Spread into the tin, smooth the top and leave uncovered at room temperature for at least 6 hours until firm enough to cut cleanly.
5 minStep 7: Turn out, cut into 4 cm squares with an oiled knife and roll each in the rest of the 4 tbsp cornflour mixed with icing sugar, for dusting. Keep in a tin in a cool place for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does baslogh take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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