Kolifa - Memorial Food

INGREDIENTS
500g wheat
500g sesame seeds
200g raisins
100g sultanas
300g pomegranate seeds (about 3 pomegranates)
250g almonds
150g anise

METHOD
Friday Evening
Rub and wash the wheat well under cold water until the water runs clear. Leave to soak in a large pot overnight.
Soak the almonds in cold water and also leave overnight and leave in the fridge.
Prepare your pomegranate by peeling and separating the seeds. Store in the fridge in a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
Soak the raisins and sultanas in a bowl with cold water and leave in the fridge

Saturday Morning
In a large pot, boil the wheat for 30-45 minutes until they’ve expanded and are tender. About 5 minutes before you take them off the heat, stir 2 tablespoons of the anise, strain well and leave to cool slightly in a colander. Spread on a clean tea towel and allow to completely dry.
Strain and pat your raisins and sultanas with a kitchen paper towel and spread on a clean tea towel to dry.
Wash the sesame seeds with cold water, strain and spread on a clean towel to dry.
To peel the almonds, use a fruit knife or a small knife to slit the almond in half. You’ll notice it will naturally split. Gently peel the skin off and place in a separate bowl. Repeat until you’ve peeled and split all of your almond. Transfer on to a clean tea towel and allow to dry.

Once everything has dried, save some of the ingredients to the side for decorating. About 1 cup of sesame seeds, 1 cup of pomegranate, ½ cup of raisins and ½ of almonds.
Add everything into a large bowl and mix well.
If you are serving in a tray, fill your tray with the mixture and use a sheet of baking paper to flatten the top.
Spread the remaining sesame on top of the mixture and use the baking paper to flatten and smooth. Decorate with the pomegranate, raisins and almonds in your own creative way and leave uncovered in the fridge until you take it to church.