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1
Cut the mozzarella curd into small pieces and place them in a Teflon pan.
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2
Add the salt and nigella seeds.
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3
Heat the cheese on low, stirring, until it is melted thoroughly and there are no lumps left.
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4
Remove the cheese from the heat and drain off the excess water in a colander.
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5
While the cheese is still very warm but cool enough to handle, pick it up in a large lump and poke a hole in the center with your fingers, so that the cheese resembles a large doughnut.
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6
You will need to work very quickly at this point because the cheese cools down rapidly once it has been stretched.
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7
Youll have about 3 minutes to stretch the cheese.
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8
Grab it with both hands and stretch it so that it forms a large loop.
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9
Stick your finger through each end of the loop, and very quickly start winding the two strands of the loop around each other, as if you were making a rope while winding.
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10
Keep stretching the cheese gently, almost to the breaking point.
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11
The more you stretch, the stringier the cheese will be.
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12
When finished, you should have a length of cheese that resembles a thick rope or a tightly wrung-out dish cloth.
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13
Twist the ends of the cheese in opposite directions and intertwine the rope into a braid.
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14
Place one end through the loop of the other to lock it.
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15
Set the cheese aside in the refrigerator or in a cool room for about an hour to dry thoroughly.
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16
Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze it; it will keep for a week in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.
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17
To serve the cheese, open the braid, cut one loop, and pull the cheese apart into thin strands.
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18
Serve with pita bread.
