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Nishalda
Nisholda: Samarkand whipped egg white and liquorice cream for Ramadan
In Samarkand's old town, nisholda appears during Ramadan, sold from big bowls by vendors who whip it by hand: a glossy, marshmallowy white cream made by beating egg whites with a hot sugar syrup and a decoction of liquorice root, which gives a gentle, earthy sweetness and makes the foam very stable. It is eaten after sunset with warm non bread dipped in. A common mistake is pouring the syrup in too fast, which deflates the whites. Chef's tip: add the hot syrup in a thin stream with the mixer running; the heat cooks the whites as they whip, so the cream is safe and holds for days.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the liquorice water
- ⅔ oz dried liquorice rootbroken into pieces
- 1 ¼ cups water
For the cream
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 3 egg whitesat room temperature
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer ⅔ oz dried liquorice root in 1 ¼ cups water for 15 minutes, until amber. Strain and keep 150 ml of the liquid.
15 minStep 2: Heat 10 ½ oz sugar with 100 ml of the liquorice water, stirring until dissolved, then boil without stirring until it reaches 250°F on a sugar thermometer (a drop in cold water forms a soft ball).
10 minStep 3: Meanwhile whisk 3 egg whites with 1 tsp lemon juice in a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Take care with the hot syrup, which burns badly.
Step 4: With the mixer on high, pour the syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Common mistake: pouring fast; the foam collapses.
Step 5: Add the remaining liquorice water and ½ tsp vanilla extract and whisk for 8–10 minutes, until very thick, glossy and cool.
10 minStep 6: Serve in bowls with warm non for dipping. Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nishalda take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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.
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