Traditional Syrian Balooria Dessert Recipe

Balooria is described as a classic Syrian dessert for people who like traditional sweets with an old-fashioned taste. The dish is presented as festive and impressive, yet easier to make than it looks, and suitable for hosting, Shabbat, or any special occasion.

The dessert combines a soft semolina dough with melting mozzarella and a rich ricotta filling. When finished, it is topped with sugar syrup and chopped pistachios, which give it its signature festive look and flavor.

The ingredient list calls for 360 ml water, 150 grams sugar, 200 grams semolina, 200 grams grated mozzarella, 1 tablespoon rose water, which is optional, and 2 cups of ricotta for the filling. For serving, the recipe adds sugar syrup and chopped pistachios.

To prepare it, the water and sugar are cooked over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Semolina is stirred in once the mixture boils, rose water can be added, and then the mozzarella is mixed in until fully melted into a smooth dough. The dough is split in two, rolled into rectangles, filled with a strip of ricotta, tightly rolled, sliced to size, and served generously with syrup and pistachios. The recipe is credited to Diana Bilayev Cohen.