PALUDEH

persian sweet noodles

This interesting ancient Persian preparation is very simple to make. According to Margaret Shaida, whose recipe I have adapted here from her brilliant book, The Legendary Cuisine of Persia, it used to be made in droplike grains the size of rice and served with fruit syrups. Perhaps it is the precursor of tapioca, though the brittle texture is different. The taste of paludeh really depends on what you serve it with. On its own, it has no flavor, but the noodles come alive as soon as you serve them over ice cream such as the Saffron Ice Cream (page 118). You can also serve them over a granita made with your choice of fruit syrup. Pomegranate, mulberry, or rose would be appropriate Persian flavors. This refreshing dish is unusual and very pretty, and it’s definitely worth trying.

SERVES 4 TO 6

3 cups [720 ml] water

1 cup [125 g] cornstarch

Prepare a bowl of ice water into which you will pipe the paludeh to both cool and shape it.

Put 1 cup [240 ml] of the water in a saucepan and whisk in the cornstarch. Gradually add the remaining 2 cups [480 ml] water, whisking all the time. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, still whisking. You do not want the mixture to be lumpy. Continue whisking until you have a thick white paste that is very smooth, about 2 minutes.

Let the paste cool a little before transferring it to a pastry bag fitted with a very fine nozzle, the finest you have. Pipe the paste into the ice water to create a tangle of thin noodles, working quickly so the paste stays pliable; the noodles should stay in the ice water for no more than 5 minutes. Drain before serving.