Masoub

Ingredients

• 3 large Arabic flatbreads, about 250 g, preferably a day old
• 5 very ripe bananas
• 4 tbsp honey, plus extra to finish
• 3 tbsp ghee, melted
• 150 ml warm whole milk
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 200 g clotted cream or thick double cream
• 6 medjool dates, pitted and torn
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut

Before you cook

• Tear the flatbreads into rough pieces and blitz them to coarse crumbs in a food processor.
• Peel the bananas and break them into a large bowl.
• Melt the ghee and warm the milk.
• Pit the dates and tear each one into three or four pieces.

Steps

1. Mash the bananas to a rough puree with a fork, leaving a few lumps for texture.
2. Add the bread crumbs to the bananas and rub the two together with your fingertips until evenly combined.
3. Pour in the warm milk and stir until the crumbs have swollen and softened.
4. Add the honey, melted ghee and ground cardamom and mix well.
5. Leave the bowl to stand for 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid and the mixture thickens.
6. Taste and add more honey if your bananas were not especially sweet.
7. Spread the masoub across a wide shallow platter and smooth the top.
8. Spoon the clotted cream over the surface in generous dollops.
9. Scatter over the torn dates, chopped pistachios and desiccated coconut.
10. Drizzle with a last thread of honey and serve while still warm.