Orange Blossom Water

Sahlab (Salep) is a white flour like powder made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis (including species Orchis mascula and Orchis militaris). These tubers contain a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep is used as the basis of a drink and as a thickener in Syrian ice cream and Turkish ice cream.

Let’s make Sahlab:

Sahlab

1. Ingredients for Sahlab are: Pure Salep Powder, milk, sugar, orange blossom water and cinnamon.

2, 3, 4, 5. In a small bowl, put 4 g pure salep powder.

6, 7, 8, 9. Add 10 g sugar to salep powder, mix with a spoon and set aside.

10, 11, 12, 13. Pour 500 ml full fat milk to a saucepan.

14, 15. Turn on heat, and keep over high heat with continuous stirring using a whisk until it starts to boil.

16, 17. Add 40 g sugar to milk and stir dissolve.

19, 20, 21. Add salep powder to milk and keep over medium heat with continuous stirring using a whisk until slightly thicken.

22, 23, 24, 25. Turn off heat, add 10 g orange blossom water and stir.

26, 27, 28, 29. Sahlab is pourable, thick and creamy.

30 to 45. Serve hot Sahlab in in small bowls (traditional Syrian way), or in tea glasses, or in tea cups.

46 to 57. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

58 to 65. Serve hot sahlab with Ka’ek Asawer “Ka’ek Rings” (traditional Syrian way – recipe below), tear ka’ek then dip in sahlab and eat.

66 to 73. Serve hot sahlab with sammoun “hot dog buns”, dip sammoun in sahlab and eat.

Ka’ek Asawer

In Syria, Sahlab is traditionally served with Ka’ek Asawer “Ka’ek Rings”.

74, 75, 76, 77. Put 2 g instant yeast in a mug.

78, 79, 80, 81. Add 150 ml water to yeast and stir to dissolve, set aside.

83, 84. Put 250 g all purpose flour in a bowl.

85, 86, 87. Add 3 g salt to flour, and stir.

88. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.

89. Pour in yeast mixture.

90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95. Knead until a smooth dough is formed.

96. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

97. After 30 minutes the dough doubled in size.

98, 99, 100, 101. Divide dough into balls, each balls equals to 50 grams.

102. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper,

103, 104, 105, 106, 107. Take a ball and roll into a robe about 10 inch (25 cm) long.

108, 109, 110, 111. Join the ends to form a ring or a circle.

112. Put on the baking sheet.

113. Repeat with the remaining dough.

114, 115, 116, 117. In a bowl, put 20 g grape molasses.

118, 119, 120, 121. Add 15 g water to molasses and stir.

122 to 129. Brush the rings with molasses.

130, 131, 132, 133. Sprinkle with toasted seasame seeds.

134, 135. Repeat with the other rings.

136, 137. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 20 minutes.

138, 139, 140, 141. Preheat the oven to 375°F (180 °C). Place the baking sheet in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown in color on bottom and top.

Serving Sahlab

142. Serve Sahlab hot with Ka’ek Asawer, Sammoun, and Jebneh.

Sahlab

From: Family Recipe / Servings: 2 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Sahlab 4 g pure salep powder 10 g sugar, to mix with salep 500 ml full fat milk 40 g sugar 10 g (2 tsp) orange blossom water 1 g ground cinnamon, to sprinkle Ka’ek Asawer 2 g (1/2 tsp) instant yeast 150 ml water 250 g (1 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) all purpose flour 3 g (1/2 tsp) salt 20 g (2 tbsp) grape molasses 15 g (1 tbsp) water 15 g toasted sesame seeds To Serve Ka’ek Asawer Sammoun “Hot Dog Buns” Jebneh

Sahlab Ingredients for Sahlab are: Pure Salep Powder, milk, sugar, orange blossom water and cinnamon. In a small bowl, put 4 g pure salep pwoder. Add 10 g sugar to salep powder, mix with a spoon and set aside. Pour 500 ml full fat milk to a saucepan. Turn on heat, and keep over high heat with continuous stirring using a whisk until it starts to boil. Add 40 g sugar to milk and stir dissolve. Add salep powder to milk and keep over medium heat with continuous stirring using a whisk until slightly thicken. Turn off heat, add 10 g orange blossom water and stir. Sahlab is pourable, thick and creamy. Serve hot Sahlab in in small bowls (the traditional Syrian way), or in tea glasses, or in tea cups. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Serve hot sahlab with Ka’ek Asawer “Ka’ek Rings” (traditional Syrian way – recipe below), tear ka’ek then dip in sahlab and eat. Serve hot sahlab with sammuon “hot dog buns”, dip sammon in sahlab and eat. Ka’ek Asawer In Syria, Sahlab is traditionally served with Ka’ek Asawer “Ka’ek Rings”. Put 2 g instant yeast in a mug. Add 150 ml water to yeast and stir to dissolve, set aside. Put 250 g all purpose flour in a bowl. Add 3  g salt to flour, and stir. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in yeast mixture. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the dough doubled in size. Divide dough into balls, each balls equals to 50 grams. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, Take a ball and roll into a robe about 10 inch (25 cm) long. Join the ends to form a ring or a circle. Put on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. In a bowl, put 20 g grape molasses. Add 15 g water to molasses and stir. Brush the rings with molasses. Sprinkle with toasted seasame seeds. Repeat with the other rings. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F (180 °C). Place the baking sheet in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown in color on bottom and top. Serving Sahlab Serve Sahlab hot with Ka’ek Asawer, Sammoun, and Jebneh.

Notes and Tips

Pure Salep powder is the genuine product and it is expensive – you may able to find it in Turkish and Middle Eastern stores. In addition, it might be found in online websites that sell Turkish food. Click here for photo of pure Sahlab Powder.

There are also some products called “Salep Mix”. It is not genuine, it is a blend of cornstarch, rice flour, sugar and flavorings. You just mix it with hot milk and your drink is ready but it tastes nothing like the real thing. Click here to see photo of different brands of Salep mix.

In Syria, Sahlab is served in bowls and eaten with a spoon, it is also served in glasses or cups to drink.

This is the size of my measuring cup: 1 cup of flour equals to 160 gram. It is more accurate if you measure the flour and water in grams.

Here are two photos show grape molasses, click here and here.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 31st, 2019 at 9:06 PM and is filed under Syrian Breakfast, Syrian Drinks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.