Nut Rolls – Nashab

posted on: Jun 23, 2025

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

In the 10^th century Kitab al-Tabikh by the Baghdadi author Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, we find a recipe for ruqaq, very thin sheets of dough, no doubt the precursor to the modern Arab world’s marquq while in the 13^th century cookbook by the Aleppan Ibn al-‘Adim and in the 13^th century cookbook by the Andalusian al-Tujibi, there are recipes for a dough called ‘kunafa’.  Their recipes are similar to the procedure involved in making the contemporary pastry ‘baqlawa’ (baklava) rather than the modern Arab world’s sweet named ‘kunafa’ which includes a very stringy dough similar to vermicelli.  

Filo dough and the Arab sweets seem to go hand in hand.  When baked or fried it is thin and crispy allowing for its stuffing to take the lead in taste. 

A popular sweet in the Arab Gulf countries today, nashab has a history that goes back to Golden Age of the Arabs.

Sugar Syrup – Qatar

4 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/4 tablespoons rose water (ma’ ward) or orange blossom water (ma’ zahr)

Nut Rolls – Nashab

1 1/4 cups raw cashew nuts

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup blanched almonds

1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound package filo dough

oil for frying

To make the syrup:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and lemon juice.  Over medium heat, bring to boil and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the rose water or orange blossom water then let come to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

To make the nut rolls:

Place cashews, walnuts, almonds, cardamom and 1 cup of the sugar in a food processor then process for a minute to make the filling.  Set aside.

Cut filo dough into quarters then cover with slightly damp cloth.  Take one piece at a time and place 1 level tablespoon of filling along the middle of bottom edge.  Fold both sides over filling. Wet the top edge with fingers then roll from bottom up. Repeat until all filo dough pieces are finished.

Place oil 2-inches deep in a saucepan, then heat over medium.  Fry rolls, turning them over until they are evenly golden in colour.  Remove then place in cold syrup for a few moments. Remove with slotted spoon onto a serving platter.  Let cool then serve.

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