How to make basbousa/rivani

In a mixing bowl, add the semolina and sugar

2 tsp good quality baking powder

Now add the yogurt

Mix, stir until all ingredients are married together nicely and a homogeneous batter forms

Now add the melted butter or oil. Butter tastes a lot better than oil in baking so if you want it finger licking tasty, add butter

Whisk n mix again

Pour the batter in a greased pan

Look at that bowl, the batter hasn't stuck to the sides unlike cake batter. Thanx to yogurt

Spread evenly

Now keep almonds at equal distance on the batter in a way that every square that we cut out of it, gets one almond

Like that. Pop in a pre-heated oven at 180-200 degrees celsius for 50-60 min

It's done after almost an hour. Take it out when nicely browned

Now make syrup with water and sugar

Take an orange and grate its peel to get the zest. Add it in the syrup. Add the cinnamon stick too. It'll take about 10 minutes to get done

Cut squares of the semolina cake so that it absorbs the syrup nicely. Pour hot syrup when it's done over it. You can strain the syrup to get rid of orange rind. Optional

There. It's done. Warm, succulent, melt-in-the-mouth semolina cake or rivani/ basboussa. Eat hot or cold. Bon apetite !