Al Khabeesa

Al Khabeesa/Malban
At the end of the season of picking grapes when grapes become very sweet, women start to prepare a very healthy and delicious dessert called Khabeesa or Malban. Grapes are collected in a big pot in order to be washed thoroughly. Then, grapes are placed in a big sieve to be squeezed in order to get as much juice as possible from the grapes.
Grape juice is placed in a big pot and cooked until it becomes lukewarm. Half of the amount is placed in another pot where flour or semolina is added while continuously stirring until the mix thickens. Grapes in the first pot are to be boiled for a while. The contents of the second pot are added to those in the first pot and they have to be stirred continuously and slowly in order not to spoil the mixture. After cooking the grapes, pine nuts, sesame, Nigella sativa, fennel, almonds and sunflower seeds are added to the mixture. In the past people used to add pine cone seeds.
A large piece of cotton gauze fabrics is placed on the roof of the house and then the cooked mixture is poured and spread over the cloth and pressed so that the thickness of the contents is equal. It should neither be very thin nor very thick. It is left to dry under the sun for half a day and then hung on ropes for around four to five days depending on the temperatures outside. It is ready when it is not sticky anymore. Finally, it is stored in nylon bags.