Navat
Novvot: Samarkand crystallised grape-sugar candy grown on threads
In Samarkand and Bukhara, navat is sold in sparkling amber clusters still hanging from the threads they grew on, and Uzbek families dissolve a piece in green tea as a cure for colds, or give it to new mothers. Traditionally it is crystallised slowly from grape juice and sugar; at home, a strong syrup with a little grape juice, left undisturbed for several days, grows the same glassy crystals. A common mistake is moving the jar, which knocks the crystals loose before they form. Chef's tip: use clean cotton threads dipped in syrup and rolled in sugar first; the seed crystals give the new ones something to grow on.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the navat
- 1 ⅓ lb sugarplus 2 tbsp for the threads
- 1 cup water
- 3 ½ tbsp white grape juice
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 6 pieces clean cotton string20 cm each
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1 ⅓ lb sugar, 1 cup water and 3 ½ tbsp white grape juice in a heavy pan, stirring, until dissolved. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes, until it reaches 225°F. Add ½ tsp lemon juice. Take care: boiling sugar burns badly.
15 minStep 2: Dip 6 pieces clean cotton string in the hot syrup, then roll them in a little sugar and leave to dry for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Pour the syrup into a tall, clean glass jar. Tie the threads to a pencil laid across the top so they hang into the syrup without touching the sides.
Step 4: Cover the jar with paper and leave in a warm, still place for 3–5 days, without moving it, until thick crystals cover the threads. Common mistake: moving or stirring the jar; the crystals drop off.
Step 5: Lift out the threads, rinse briefly in cold water and dry on a rack for a day. Store in a jar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does navat take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, 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.
Undu walalu
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Marquesitas
Evening in Mérida's Plaza Grande means the smell of marquesitas: thin batter pressed in hot hinged irons until crisp, then rolled like a cigar around grated Edam cheese and a sweet filling such as cajeta, chocolate-hazelnut spread or jam. Edam came to the Yucatán through the port trade with the Netherlands and became part of the local cooking, and the salty-sweet combination is the whole point. At home you can cook them in a thin, wide frying pan. Edam is usually made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian Gouda-style cheese. Chef's tip: roll while the crêpe is still in the pan and hot; within seconds it hardens and will crack.
Mexican