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Pepitada
Toasted melon seed milk
Sephardic toasted melon-seed milk to break the Yom Kippur fast
Greek and Turkish Jews end the Yom Kippur fast with a glass of pepitada, a pale, gentle 'milk' made from melon seeds that were saved, washed and dried through the summer. The seeds are toasted, ground, soaked overnight in water wrapped in muslin, then squeezed to give a mild, nutty drink sweetened with a little sugar and scented with rose or orange-blossom water. It is soothing on an empty stomach after a day without food or water. The common mistake is toasting the seeds too dark, which makes the drink bitter. Chef's tip: start the night before; the long soak is what draws out the creamy flavour.
- Total time
- 750 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 cups cold water
- 2 ½ oz caster sugarto taste
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast the 5 ½ oz dried melon seeds (or peeled pumpkin seeds) in a dry pan over a low heat for 5–8 minutes, shaking often, until they smell nutty and only just colour.
8 minStep 2: Cool, then grind them finely in a blender or spice grinder.
5 minStep 3: Tie the ground seeds in a square of muslin and soak the bundle in the 5 cups cold water in a jug, in the fridge, for 12 hours or overnight.
720 minStep 4: Squeeze and knead the bundle hard into the water several times until the water turns milky white. Discard the pulp.
5 minStep 5: Stir in the 2 ½ oz caster sugar until dissolved and add the 1 tbsp rose water or orange-blossom water. Serve chilled. It keeps 2 days in the fridge; stir before pouring.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pepitada take?
- About 750 minutes in total: 740 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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