AI-generated image
Masghati
Masghati (مسقطی): rosewater and saffron starch sweet from Lar and Shiraz
Masghati takes its name from Muscat, from where traders brought the recipe to the port towns of the Persian Gulf, and today Lar and Shiraz are famous for it. It is a clear, firm, jelly-like sweet of starch, sugar and rosewater, tinted gold with saffron and studded with pistachios, made for Nowruz guests and for gifts. It sets enough to cut into neat diamonds but stays tender. A common mistake is not cooking the starch long enough: it must turn from milky to clear, or the masghati tastes floury and weeps. Chef's tip: stir with a flat wooden spatula and scrape the bottom constantly, because the paste catches suddenly in the last few minutes.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Lightly oil a 20 × 20 cm dish. Whisk the 3 ½ oz cornflour (pure corn starch) into half the 1 ¾ cups cold water in a bowl until smooth with no lumps.
3 minStep 2: In a heavy non-stick pan, heat the rest of the 1 ¾ cups cold water with the 10 ½ oz white sugar until dissolved and just boiling. Whisk in the starch mixture and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick and starting to turn translucent.
12 minStep 3: Add the ¼ tsp saffron threads and 3 tbsp sunflower oil and keep stirring and scraping for 15–20 minutes more, until the paste is completely clear, shiny and pulls away from the sides of the pan in one mass.
18 minStep 4: Stir in the 4 tbsp rosewater and ½ tsp ground cardamom and most of the 1 ⅜ oz slivered pistachios and ⅔ oz slivered almonds; cook 2 minutes more.
2 minStep 5: Spread into the oiled dish, smooth the top with a wet spatula and scatter the rest of the nuts. Cool, then chill for 3 hours until firm. Cut into diamonds with an oiled knife and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masghati take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cornflour (pure corn starch)?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
British
Chocolate sauce
A thick, glossy chocolate sauce made from store-cupboard cocoa and milk, ready in under 10 minutes. Pour it hot over vanilla ice cream, or let it cool and spread it on cakes and puddings.