Turkish Delight or LUKUM or Rahat Lukum is a truly sweet treat.

Lukum in Turkish means a mouth-full and I can not think of a better name for this. It has a jelly consistency although no jelly in it. It is sweet, melts in your mouth and you can add nuts, rose water, vanilla or any other thing you like to it.

I decided to try and make it at home. The main ingredient in it is…. Patience.

Yes. It takes time, slowly cooked, but totally worth it.

I looked at many recipes all based on cornflour until I saw one recipe by a wonderful Israeli chef Chaim Cohen, that makes it with rice flour. That sounded interesting. Especially since he is the only one who makes it with rice flour.

I got Organic rice flour and started….

What you need:

A clean large cloth – thin, similar to flour sack towels

2 cups rice flour

1 1/4  L water (42 oz)

1 kg (2.2 lb) sugar

Lemon Juice from 1 large juicy lemon.

Additions- nuts, almonds, rose water…..

Place the flour sack towel in a tray with the sides left out. Pour 1 cup of rice flour over the cloth. I put on half the rice flour, and on the other half coconut.

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the lemon juice and 1 cup rice flout to the boiling water. Mix well. Once it gets back to a boiling point turn the heat down to very low heat and let cook for at least 2 hours. Mix from time to time. the consistency will get thicker and thicker.

After about 2 hours take a small bowl and fill with very cold water. Place a spoonful of lukum in the cold water and see if you can easily shape it without it falling apart. Once you can, it is ready. It took me 3 trials with 15 minutes in between. Total cooking time of almost 3 hours.

Once it is ready you add your additions – I added some rose water, almond and hazelnuts. Then you pour it into the tray and flatten it out to the thickness you like.

Now it needs to rest for 24 hours. In my house after 9 hours everyone started tasting….

After 9 hours…

Once it sets, it is ready. You cut it into the size and shape you like, and cover in coconut, cornstarch or nuts or any other idea…). Keeps well in an airtight container. If it will make it to the container….

Yum

Love to hear your comments….