Recipe · Vegetarian · Eggless
Dubai-Style Kunafa Chocolate Bar
Dubai kunafa chocolate recipe: a milk chocolate bar filled with toasted kunafa and pistachio cream. No oven, plus where to buy kataifi and a seviyan swap.
Dubai kunafa chocolate is a thick milk chocolate bar filled with crunchy toasted kunafa pastry and creamy pistachio. It went viral online as 'Dubai chocolate', and the whole point is the moment you snap the bar and see the golden, crackly filling inside.
You do not need an oven or special skills. You toast kataifi (shredded kunafa pastry) in butter or ghee until golden, mix it with pistachio cream and a little tahini, and seal it inside melted chocolate in a mould. The fridge does the rest. The total time includes about 1 hour 10 minutes of chilling.
This recipe uses the simple melt-and-chill method, with an optional quick tempering step if you want a glossy bar that snaps. It also covers where to find kataifi in India, and an honest seviyan (vermicelli) substitute if you cannot get it.
Dubai-Style Kunafa Chocolate Bar
You'll need
2 chocolate bar moulds (about 16 x 8 cm, 2 cm deep), or a small flat box lined with butter paper · Kadai or heavy-bottomed pan · Microwave-safe bowl, or a heatproof bowl and a saucepan · Spatula and spoon · Pastry brush or the back of a spoon · Kitchen scissors and a sharp knife
Ingredients
For the kunafa filling
For the chocolate shell
Method
- Toast the kataifi. Pull the kataifi strands apart and snip them into 1 to 2 cm pieces with scissors. Melt the butter or ghee in a kadai on low-medium heat, add the kataifi and stir constantly for 6 to 8 minutes, until every strand is an even deep golden brown and crisp. Watch the last minute closely, as it goes from golden to burnt fast. Tip it onto a plate, spread it out and let it cool for 10 minutes; it gets crunchier as it cools.
- Make the filling. In a bowl, mix the pistachio cream, tahini (if using) and salt. Add the cooled kataifi and stir until every strand is coated. The mix should be thick and clumpy and hold together when pressed with a spoon; if it looks dry, add 1 more tablespoon of pistachio cream.
- Melt the chocolate. Chop the chocolate finely and put it in a completely dry bowl. Microwave on medium power in 20-second bursts, stirring after each, and stop when a few small lumps remain; stir until they melt. Or set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water on low heat, without the bowl touching the water, and stir until smooth. The chocolate should feel warm, not hot.
- Coat the moulds. Spoon about 4 tablespoons (75 g) of melted chocolate into each mould. Brush or spread it over the base and up the sides in an even layer about 2 to 3 mm thick. Keep the rest of the chocolate aside for the top.
- Chill the shells. Refrigerate the moulds for 10 minutes, until the chocolate is firm and no longer glossy. Hold each mould up to the light and brush a little more chocolate onto any thin spots.
- Fill the shells. Spoon the kunafa filling into the shells and press it down gently into an even layer. Leave a 3 to 4 mm gap below the rim so the top layer of chocolate can seal it.
- Seal the bars. If the remaining chocolate has thickened, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave or over the hot water. Pour it over the filling, spread it right to the edges so it joins the shell all round, and scrape off the excess with a flat knife for a clean edge.
- Chill until firm. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bars feel hard and pull away slightly from the sides of the mould.
- Unmould and serve. Turn the bars out of the moulds. Cut them with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, so the chocolate cuts cleanly and shows the crunchy filling. Serve straight from the fridge.
Tips for getting it right
- Keep every drop of water out of the chocolate. Even a little water or steam makes melted chocolate seize into a thick, grainy lump, so use a dry bowl and spatula.
- Toast the kataifi until it is properly deep golden. Pale kataifi tastes doughy and turns soft inside the bar instead of staying crunchy.
- Let the filling cool before it goes into the shells, or the warm kataifi will melt the chocolate.
- Simply melted (untempered) real chocolate will not stay firm at room temperature. Keep these bars in the fridge and take them out just before eating; they soften within minutes in warm weather and may show harmless white streaks (bloom).
- Compound chocolate, sold in slabs at most baking supply shops, sets firm without tempering and is easier to handle, though it tastes less rich than real chocolate.
Variations
- Dark chocolate: use 50 to 55% dark chocolate, or half dark and half milk, for a less sweet bar.
- Nutella or Lotus: replace the pistachio cream with the same amount of Nutella or Lotus Biscoff spread.
- Kunafa chocolate cups: make the shells in paper cupcake cases or small silicone cups instead of bar moulds. This makes about 8 small cups.
- Homemade pistachio cream: blend 3/4 cup (100 g) unsalted shelled pistachios in a small mixie jar in short bursts for 3 to 5 minutes until pasty. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons (25 to 35 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk powder and 2 to 3 tablespoons neutral oil, and blend to a smooth, spreadable cream. Use 100 g of it here.
Storing and reheating
Store the bars in an airtight box in the fridge. They are crunchiest within 3 days, as the kataifi slowly softens from the pistachio cream, and keep for up to 1 week. Take them out about 5 minutes before eating. Bars made with tempered or compound chocolate hold their shape better at room temperature, but in Mangalore's heat the fridge is still the best place for them.
Not in the mood to cook?