Arab fruit salad with orange blossom water and pistachios

For me, a fruit salad is so much more than a bowl of fruit. The additions bring out seasonal fruit from the region, use local ingredients that are added on top and talk to me about the culture of the land. A fruit salad also shows creativity on the part of the chef in their ability to integrate flavours and textures that go beyond the fruit.

This is one such fruit salad. The fruit can be a mix of any local fruit that is in season. The magic lies in the orange blossom water that adds a lovely fragrance, the pistachios that add nutty nuances and the pomegranate seeds and mint that highlight the local culture. This is a light dessert with lots of flavours and textures from the seasonal fruit and the other elements adding nuances that are uncommon.

This is a relatively new cookbook in my library. It is filled with contemporary Arab recipes, each one a delight, like this one. Each recipe has an introduction that precedes it explaining the origins of the dish and its history, something I enjoy reading and cuisine I have so much to learn about. It is a wonderful cookbook, one you will see me cook from again.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cantaloupe, or other melon, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces

1 pineapple, cubed into bite-sized pieces

Blueberries, or other berries. If using strawberries, half or quarter them

2 pears, cubed into bite-sized pieces

1 apple, cubed into bite-sized pieces

1 cup grapes, halved

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces

Optional fruit:

Mangoes, cubed into bite-sized pieces

Lychees peeled

1-2 tablespoons superfine sugar, optional)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons orange blossom water

1/2 cup pistachios, lightly toasted

Mix all the fruit and add the sugar, if using, lime juice and orange blossom water. Toss well and allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

To serve, turn into a large bowl and top with the pistachios right before serving.