Faloodeh

Method

1. Put 50 g caster sugar and 200 ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and let it bubble for 3 minutes without colouring, then take off the heat. The syrup should stay pale and thin, not thicken to a caramel.
2. Leave the syrup to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, then stir in 1.5 tbsp rosewater. Adding it off the heat keeps the perfume intact. Chill the syrup in the fridge while you deal with the noodles.
3. Bring a second pan of water to a rolling boil and cook 25 g thin rice vermicelli for 2-3 minutes, until just tender with no chalky core. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water for a minute to wash off the starch and stop the cooking, then drain very well.