The Moroccan sweet rice rolls are a delicious and cost-effective dessert for tea parties. They are made of white rice, flavored with orange blossom water, and dipped in honey! My mom’s version is one of my favorite dessert recipes! She adds crushed fried blanched almonds and sesame seeds for a beautiful nutty flavor and omits refined sugar for a healthier treat.
An Introduction to Warka!
Warka is a Moroccan version of phyllo dough made at home or bought at the store. In Morocco, we use Warka in dishes and pastries such as Pastilla, Briwat, and Knintat. It’s a versatile ingredient with sweet or savory fillings such as almonds, cheese, veggies, or meat. A similar version of Warka is also used in South Asia to make the popular Samosa.
You may make your warka at home or buy it at the store for this recipe. If you choose the latter, you may want to look for “phyllo dough” or “Samosa sheets.”
Making Moroccan Sweet Rice Rolls
Today, we will make Rice Knintat, aka Rice Briwat or Rice Rolls. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- To start with, using fried blanched almonds is vital. To blanch raw almonds, put them in a boiled water bowl and cover them for 10 minutes. Next, remove the cover and peel them. They should peel easily; otherwise, allow an extra 5 minutes inside the hot water bowl. Finally, dry the almonds using a cloth or paper towel.
- The almonds should be completely dry before frying them; otherwise, they will pop. Fry your almonds on medium heat until they’re golden brown; careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before grinding them.
- While the almonds are cooling, cook your rice and set it aside. Then, toast the sesame seeds for a few minutes and let them cool to room temperature before grinding them.
- Combine the cooked rice, ground almonds, sesame seeds, salt, cinnamon, orange blossom water, and almond milk in a large bowl. Mix with the hands and set aside.
- Brush your warka, or phyllo dough, with butter before filling it with the rice mixture. Roll your stuffed phyllo dough and brush the ends with an egg yolk to seal it.
- Fry your rolls on medium heat until golden brown and place them on a cooling rack. Drizzle honey on top, and decorate with sesame seeds, crushed or sliced almonds. Store the raw rolls in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Serving the Rolls
These Knintat are best enjoyed while still warm, crunchy, and chewy! I love pairing them with cherry blossom or jasmine tea to compliment the rolls’ orange blossom flavor!
Traditionally, we should dip the rolls in honey before serving them. However, I choose to drizzle a little bit of honey on top to reduce the amount of sugar intake and enjoy the nutty flavor! Bessaha!
Moroccan Rice Rolls
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup crushed fried blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup crushed toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 Tbsp almond milk (I used vanilla-flavored almond milk)
Rolling Ingredients
- 18 phyllo dough sheets (or warka)
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
Topping Ingredients
- honey
- sesame seeds
- sliced or crushed almonds
Instructions
- If you haven't fried almonds before, the steps above describe how to fry blanched almonds successfully.
- Combine the cooked rice, ground almonds, ground sesame seeds, salt, cinnamon, orange blossom water, and almond milk. Mix with the hands and set aside.
- Brush your warka, or phyllo dough, with butter.
- Fill your warka with the rice mixture using a spoon. Use your hands to mold the rice mixture before rolling.
- Roll your stuffed phyllo dough and brush the ends with an egg yolk to seal it.
- Fry your rolls on medium heat until golden brown and place them on a cooling rack.
- Drizzle honey on top, and decorate with sesame seeds, crushed or sliced almonds.
- Enjoy while still hot, crunchy, and chewy. Bessaha!
Notes
- Rice rolls are best served immediately after frying. Drizzle them with honey and top them off with sesame seeds or almonds.
- These yummy treats are best served with cherry blossom or jasmine tea. They beautifully complement the rolls’ orange blossom flavor.
- Store the raw rolls in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Looking for more sweet and nutty desserts? Check out this healthy Sellou recipe!
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