Hilbeh

Method

1. The night before, rinse 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds under cold water, then cover them generously with cold water in a small bowl and leave to soak for 12 hours, changing the water once. This is what takes the bitterness out. Drain in a sieve, rinse again and shake dry.
2. Make the syrup first so it has time to cool: put 50 g of sugar and 50 ml of water in the smallest saucepan over medium heat, stir until dissolved, add 0.5 tsp of lemon juice and simmer gently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable. Take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. In a bowl, whisk together 70 g of coarse semolina, 20 g of plain flour, 30 g of caster sugar, 0.25 tsp of ground turmeric and 0.5 tsp of baking powder. Rub in 1 tbsp of olive oil with your fingertips until the grains are evenly coated and sandy.
4. Pour in 70 ml of warm water and stir to a thick, slowly dropping batter, then fold through the drained fenugreek seeds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes so the semolina swells and the batter loosens.