Combine all syrup ingredients in a pot and simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Remove the phyllo dough from the package and trim it to fit the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-centimeter) pan.

Mix the diced onion, lamb, and spices.

Spray or brush oil onto the bottom of the dish. Add 10 layers of phyllo, spraying between each one. Add the meat mixture and carefully press it into a thin layer over the dough. Then add another 10 layers of phyllo, spraying oil between each one.

Score the top by making three or four vertical

lines down the length of the pan, then diagonal lines across to make diamonds, cutting about halfway through the baklava.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked. Immediately pour syrup evenly over the dough.

To serve, cut diamond pieces of baklava

by cutting more fully through the lines you

scored previously. Serve over techinah and

garnish with fresh cilantro.