Jachnun


Jachnun or jahnun is a Jewish pastry, originating from the Adeni Jews, and traditionally served on Shabbat morning, with resek agvaniyot, hard-boiled eggs, and zhug.
Jachnun has become popular in Israeli cuisine, where it is served in homes, as fast food at roadside stalls, and in restaurants, events, and dining halls.

Preparation

Jahnun is prepared from dough which is rolled out thinly and brushed with samneh, which is clarified butter spiced with 'hilbe' and aged in a smoked vessel, traditionally using smoke from the wood of a specific tree, the דודינה tree, though regular clarified butter or shortening can be used. A little honey is sometimes added when the dough is rolled up before cooking.
It is traditionally cooked overnight on a 'Shabbat hotplate' at a very low temperature, starting the cooking process on the Friday, to be taken out and eaten on Shabbat morning, as it is forbidden by Jewish custom to start cooking or turn electrical implements on/off during the Shabbat. The jahnun pieces are baked/steamed in a lidded pot.
This cooking process turns the dough a dark amber, endowing it with a deep, sweet, caramelized taste. The dough used for jachnun is the same as that used for malawach.

History

The idea of slow-cooking food in a way that conforms with Shabbat restrictions is ancient, originating with cholent, or hamin, a slow-cooked stew that originated in ancient Israel. Jachnun and its pan-fried cousin malawach probably originated as variations of Sephardic Jewish puff pastry, brought to Yemen by Jews expelled from Spain, according to Gil Marks.