Amardeen drink
This is a traditional drink during Ramadan; by the way, Ramadan Kareem to all!
Amardeen is the name given to a large sheet of apricot paste; the apricots and the sheets are from Syria; amardeen has a tangy, sweet and intense apricot flavor. It is diluted in water, made into a drink or a pudding or just eaten as is in chunks.
For a quart-sized pitcher:
Dilute 500 g (about 1 package or 1 pound) of amardeen in four cups of water overnight. The next day, pour one cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the water. Cool and set aside. Place 2 ounces of nuts (pistachios, pine nuts) in a bowl filled with water for at least one hour.
In a blender, pour the amardeen and water mixture and the syrup and process until smooth; taste for desired sweetness. Serve the drink in cups and garnish with a few pine nuts and peeled pistachios or almonds or walnuts, if desired.
NOTE: One can add a teaspoon of rose water to this drink if desired.
For a pudding recipe, clickhere
Comments
29 Comments • Comments Feed
tom | tall clover says:
Joumana, I send my compliments. Your recipes are inventive and delicious and you share an equally delicious slice of life in a country so many of us are eager to know more about. Kudos and thank you!
On August 18, 2010 at 11:31 am
Mo says:
What a gorgeous drink! Delicious, no doubt. 🙂
On August 18, 2010 at 11:51 am
Angie's Recipes says:
A very different and refreshing drink!
On August 18, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Rachana says:
A gorgeous drink! Delicious!
On August 18, 2010 at 1:53 pm
elra says:
Sounds very refreshing Joumana!
On August 18, 2010 at 2:08 pm
gloria says:
Joumana what lovely drink! gloria
On August 18, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Pauline says:
Looks lovely, with all those nuts. I’m wondering if amardeen is a cousin of lavashak? Is it apricots only or sometimes other fruit?
Today I made a tray of plum lavashak and am hoping to put it to dry in the sun tomorrow, if the weather forecast is correct.
On August 18, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Magic of Spice says:
This sounds and looks wonderful 🙂 Ans so very beautiful!
On August 18, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Suman Singh says:
looks so refreshing and delicious..
On August 18, 2010 at 3:39 pm
kouky says:
ramadhan mabrouk karim Joumana!
Merci pour cette délicieuse boisson très énergisante surtout pour le mois de ramadhan!
à ce propos , j’organise un jeu relatif aux soupes du ramadhan ayant pour but de partager nos recettes et de les tester éventuellement.Ta participation me ferait énormément plaisir!!
bises! kouky
On August 18, 2010 at 3:51 pm
marla says:
This drink sounds so exotic and interesting! I love apricots & that dried apricot paste sounds so delish. xo
On August 18, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Food Jihadist says:
I love this drink! People drink it by the buckets here in Egypt during Ramadan. Great garnish.
On August 18, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Eve@CheapEthnicEatz says:
Oh that looks nice and thick, more like a nectar, which I prefer over juice. Love the touch of nut in it.
On August 18, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Kerstin says:
What a refreshing drink – it sounds so tasty!
On August 18, 2010 at 7:21 pm
sophia says:
OMG. We have ESP?! I went to a Mediterranean store today, and saw that EXACT same product…and I was wondering what the heck I could do with it! And then I see THIS post! Is this fate?!
On August 18, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Katerina says:
This drink looks so tasty and exotic. I love the addition of rose water in it. We use it also here in Greece.
On August 18, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Jessica says:
I have never had anything like this! How cool!
On August 19, 2010 at 12:40 am
Sophie says:
That drink looks so refreshing & special too!
I will look for amardeen! thanks!
On August 19, 2010 at 1:40 am
T.W. Barritt says:
What a very pretty and refreshing looking drink.
On August 19, 2010 at 5:56 am
Soma says:
I have never heard of apricot paste. This is so intriguing, more so with the rose water in it.
On August 19, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Dana says:
Mmm! Apricot and pistachio is such a good combination! Ramadan Kareem to you too!
On August 19, 2010 at 9:49 pm
grace says:
what a uniquely delicious beverage! the color is just gorgeous.
On August 20, 2010 at 3:17 am
FOODESSA says:
I would have thought those fruit sheets would be sweet enough on their own…I guess not. Now, when I see them at the store…I’ll finally be able to know what it can be used for. Everytime I walk into the middle eastern store…I’m overwhelmed. Thanks to you…I’m slowing untangling the mysteries ;o)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
On August 20, 2010 at 6:44 am
heguiberto says:
Joumana,
Last year we bought a big sheet of apricot at a middle eastern store in the Mission District of San Francisco and it’s been stashed away in the food pantry as I didn’t know what to do with it. Well now I do 🙂
The amardeen margarita seems like a great idea too.
Thanks for sharing!
H
On August 21, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Foodycat says:
I remember reading about this in one of Claudia Roden’s books years ago. I thought it sounded delicious and a bit magical!
On August 21, 2010 at 2:00 pm
OysterCulture says:
I picked up a package of the amardeen and was curious to come up with some use for it, I had all sorts of ideas, but nothing sounds as good as this drink that you’ve shared with us. Thank you!!
On August 24, 2010 at 8:15 pm