Being a dutiful wife to my ex-husband meant (among other things) learning how to cook traditional Yemen food. The first item on the menu was jachnoon and melawach a Yemen pastry eaten every Saturday morning with homemade chili paste (Schug) hardboiled egg and ripened tomatoes finely chopped. This dish became an instant hit with my oz friends, and before I knew it, I was entering 30 people who were invited in secret every Saturday morning in order not not to offend the rest of my friends who wanted a regular invitation. When I began to make melawach (30 years ago) I didn’t know anyone who made it or anyone who sold it, nor did any of my friends so the only place you could eat this new cuisine was a Nava's place.
Melawach is flaky , a little crunchy on the outside soft and fluffy on the inside. It certainly gave a reason for a gathering every Saturday morning. I never dreamed that i would be approached to share the recipe in a cook book (it was published in the MMC) I was also surprised when I came a cross a melawach recipe while looking through the SBS website, as I began to read I thought wow what are the chances a melawach recipe by another woman called Nava, what do you know, she lives in Bondi beach too! Really?? and has the exact same recipe as me?? You can imagine how excited I was when I realised it was ME! Below is my recipe as published by SBS.