My
love affair with all things sugary and sweet must have surely begun while I was
resting patiently in my mom’s womb… My parents are food lovers, especially fond
of sweets and desserts and invariably I have ended up carrying the genes
forward!
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| A serving of assorted Baklavas |
I
haven’t travelled far and well to experiment and experience several cuisines,
gourmet foods and the likes but I’ve surely tasted a few that have left a
lasting impression on my mind and taste buds! One such being the lip-smacking ‘Baklava’,
a rich, Mediterranean dessert, probably known to have originated in the Middle
East made of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey.
While
the origins of this delicacy have been debatable, history suggests that the
Assyrians first created the Baklava around the 8th century and it was the food
of the wealthy until the mid-19th century, a luxury of sorts! Baklava was
discovered by Greek merchants and seamen who travelled east to Mesopotamia,
after which they brought the recipe to Athens.
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| Representation of various types of baklava |
The
basic ingredients used in making the baklava are nuts, flat bread (phyllo) and
syrup or honey. The type of nuts or the syrup ingredients often suggest the
origin of the recipe. Syrup with rose water and cardamom would most likely be
from Arab countries, while syrup with cinnamon and cloves would most likely
from the Balkan region is what I am told. They have different varieties such as
Baklava pistachio, Baklava walnut, Bird’s Nest, Burma, Fingers, Balloorieh,
Kol-ou-Skor, Basma, each depending on how they are rolled, what they are filled
with and how they are wrapped.
My
first tryst with this divine treat was almost four years ago when a friend
travelled from Dubai and carried a box of baklavas for us at work. It is around
the same time that baklava has slowly been finding in-roads into the palates of
foodies around the country, albeit scarcely.
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| Maharashtrian Chirota & Sindhi Praghree |
Wonder
what took them so long to introduce these delectable flavours to India,
especially when several other Middle Eastern delicacies are already a rage
here. Also, if you look carefully, a baklava can probably suit an Indian palate
for the simple reason that we have a variety of sweets within our country that,
when slightly tweaked, can resemble the baklava, like the Sindhi delicacy Praghree or the Maharashtrian Chirota.
As
I understand, perhaps one reason why there is less demand of the baklava is
because it is tedious to prepare, requiring the right ingredients, especially
the phyllo sheets that are difficult to source in India and need to be worked
with care and precision, along with the nuts and hint of spices which make it
an expensive affair! In fact I happened to spend almost Rs 800 for a half a
kilo box of baklavas recently. Ordering them online from specialized dealers can
increase the cost further.
However,
if you are the adventurous kind, love food, and enjoy trying your hand at
something new, I found out a recipe of creating phyllo at home and making your
own baklavas.
I
am all game for trying this soon and probably adding variations based on expert
comments from my “master-chef mom” at home! Will fill you in on how it turns
out! Bon appétit! Here’s one for the Turkish touch - ‘Sizin baklava keyfini çıkarın!’
Where can you
find Baklava in your city: While Baklavas are fairly easy to source in
Mumbai and Delhi, it was rather challenging for me to find one in Bangalore, considering it is still not as popular here. Hours of Google search and driving around tirelessly in rain and traffic-filled
roads, finally yielded some result as I found two places in Bangalore
that served it, although I have managed to source it from one!
- Zaks, Frazer Town, Bangalore - You have to pre-order since it is not readily available. Depending on your order, they deliver within 2-3 days and you have to pick it up from there. Price range is around Rs 700+ for 500gm of Baklava
- Byblos, Indiranagar, Bangalore - The Syrian chef prepares a delectable spread, around 5-6 varieties of them, available at their live Baklava counter any time of the day! Subtle hints of cinnamon and other herbs, full of pistachio and nuts, soaked in honey, the bird's nest baklava and fingers are an absolute delight among others. A box of 500 gm of Baklava can cost up to Rs 800. You can order a generous portion with your main course at the restaurant for around Rs 275
