A saffron-infused sugar syrup is to be poured on the kunafa before it's eaten

Living in Mumbai, our exposure to Middle Eastern desserts has been restricted to baklava and stuffed dates, often courtesy relatives returning from a holiday from that part of the world. Unfortunately, we're missing out on a vast collection of desserts that goes well beyond these — Basbousa (a sweet semolina cake), Aish El-Saraya (sweetened bread garnished with nuts), and Sutlac (rice pudding) being some.