Jachnun
Template:Short description Template:Infobox food
Jachnun or Jahnun (Template:Langx, Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a Jewish pastry, originating from the Adeni Jews,[1] and traditionally served on Shabbat morning, with resek agvaniyot (a freshly grated tomato dip), hard-boiled eggs, and zhug (a type of spicy green herbal condiment).
Jachnun has become popular in Israeli cuisine, where it is served in homes (usually on Shabbat), as fast food at roadside stalls, and in restaurants, events, and dining halls.
Preparation
Jahnun is prepared from dough which is rolled out thinly and brushed with (traditionally) samneh, which is clarified butter spiced with 'hilbe' (fenugreek) and aged in a smoked vessel, traditionally using smoke from the wood of a specific tree, the Script error: No such module "Lang". tree (presumably Dodonaea viscosa, sheth in Arabic[2]), though regular clarified butter or shortening can be used. A little honey is sometimes added when the dough is rolled up before cooking.
It is traditionally cooked overnight on a 'Shabbat hotplate' at a very low temperature, starting the cooking process on the Friday (usually in the morning), to be taken out and eaten on Shabbat (Saturday) morning, as it is forbidden by Jewish custom to start cooking or turn electrical implements on/off during the Shabbat. The jahnun pieces are baked/steamed in a lidded pot (trapping moisture and preventing drying and burning).
This cooking process turns the dough a dark amber, endowing it with a deep, sweet, caramelized taste. The dough used for jachnun is the same as that used for malawach.
History
The idea of slow-cooking food in a way that conforms with Shabbat restrictions is ancient, originating with cholent, or hamin, a slow-cooked stew that originated in ancient Israel. Jachnun and its pan-fried cousin malawach probably originated as variations of Sephardic Jewish puff pastry, brought to Yemen by Jews expelled from Spain, according to Gil Marks.[3][4]
See also
References
Further reading
- Hamitbah Hatemani (Yemenite Jewish Cooking), Sue Larkey, Modan (Hebrew)
External links
Template:Shabbat Template:Cuisine of Israel Template:Jewish baked goods Template:Pastries