This week’s theme for Summer Fest 2010 is stone fruit.
I scratched my head a little at first and then a light bulb went off. The choice was clear, extremely clear: LAVASHAK!! Which Iranian kid has not lusted over Lavashak over the summer months in Iran? Seriously!
You ask what is Lavashak? Persian fruit roll!
One of the yummiest summer treats for me in Iran was lavashk that my grandma used to make with fresh summer fruit. There are different types of summer fruits that can be used, but I have always loved plum lavashak because of its tart flavor. My grandma always placed it in a sunny spot on the roof or balcony for a few days. She used always advice to look carefully for small pebbles that may have gotten stuck in the lavashak as it dried outside.
Lavashak is not hard at all to make, it’s actually super easy. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I much prefer eating a homemade fruit roll instead of one of those store bought ones that have a list of ingredients that I don’t even know what they mean. What’s even more appealing about this Persian version of fruit rolls is the fact that it’s sugar free! Can it get any healthier than this??
Last year when I was over Mrs. Noura Samimi’s house she shared some of the Lavashak that she had made with us. This recipe is an adaptation of the one that she used to make hers.
Ingredients
20 plums
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
Wash plums and remove pit.
Place plums, water, and lemon juice in a non-stick pot. Cook on low for 30 to 45 minutes until plums have cooked all the way through and very little juice is left. Make sure to stir every so often so that the bottom does not stick.
Puree plums with a food processor.
Spray some cooking oil on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Spread the pureed plum on top in a very thin layer. You can initially bake the plum puree for one hour in a 250° oven to speed up the process.
Then cover the cookie sheet with cheese cloth and place it in the sun for a couple of days. You can skip the baking part and just leave the lavashak in the sun for 4 days instead of 2.
Once the lavashak has dried, carefully peel it off of the foil. Cut in pieces and eat away!
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
I am salivating. Lavashak is my favorite, favorite, favorite sweet. I love every kind. My parents once made some in a food dehydrator. It was okay, but nothing like the sun-dried kind.
Simply amazing! Brings me right back to childhood. Thank you for sharing the recipe
HOLy GOD…….YUMMMMYYY!!!
Wow it has never occurred to me to make my own….defff going to try it out! But mine will most likely turn out horrible lol not nice like this
Beautiful photos – no-one would guess how healthy this is! I love plums, but what other kinds of fruit would work?
Pauline, you can do pretty much any stone fruit: apricots, peaches, cherries…
sound simple to prepare, I must try it.
thank you for the recipe and pics.
I had this for the first time last spring, when a Persian friend of mine brought it as a gift to a party I was throwing. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. It is very tart but really refreshing. We are off to a Persian iftar. Can’t wait for the food, not just because I am hungry.
Now this is something I will make soon, like this weekend!
Great post Sanam
Just made it! awesome!!
I will definetely try this!
Is there any way the lavashak can dry without putting it in the sun? Because I know if I put it in the sun, flies and bugs will get all over it :/
Fariba, you can dry it out in the oven by baking it on low for a few hours. But if leave it outside you can cover it with a cheese cloth like I did and it should be fine.
I am a 23rd old male from Vancouver, Canada and i just craved Lavashak, Simply typed on google how to make it, came across this and went right to work and made it. I mixed apricots, mango, and peaches, and my God is it ever tasty. Thank you for the inspiration.
Awesome ~! i luv Lavashal <3
I made the plum lavashal and it was a hit!!! Tomorrow I am going to try making cherry lavashal and mango lavashal. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Hello dear, Is that any possibility to teach me how to make gharaghooroot ? I was wondering if I can make gharaghooroot with kashk powder ? Will you please give me the recipe? thanks so much for your help .
@babi, I don’t know the recipe for gharagjooroot, but I will try to find it!
Hi,
I was wondering if it is really necessary to keep it out in the sun?
After baking, can we just leave it by a window even though if it isn’t sunny? =)
Thanks!
Kitty,
yes, you can leave it by the window as long as it gets a good amount of sun.
OMG – that looks so great. My mouth is watering, lol. How do we make lavashak, lime (really sour) flavor? thanks!
Herbal incense, I suppose by reducing lime juice with some sugar and then letting it dry out. I have never made it before…
Thank you, my wife is working on it, it’s her first time so we’ll see how it will turn out. I never knew it was so easy to make lavashak. This blog is the best!!
I have just discovered your blog, I should say it is fabulous. I tried making lavashak a while back which to say the least didn’t go very well. Is there any way to skip the “put in sun” part. I hardly get any sun shine here. I live in England by the way!!
Hi Niloufar, yes, you can slow bake it.
Hey! thank you so much for the great recipe!
I’ve got a question for the baking part: is it 250°Celsius or 250°Fahrenheit?
Since im from europe and we use celsius i better ask before doing anything wrong
Hoomi, it is 250 Fahrenheit!
I live in the UK, and many people here have conservatories. That is where I dry my lavashak, and they turn out fabulous!