Zalabia Or Luqmat El Qadi Recipes

ZALABIA

Steps:

• To make the syrup: Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add rose or orange-blossom water, and simmer for a few seconds longer. Remove from heat, and let cool. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To make the batter: Whisk to combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Gradually stir in water, beating vigorously until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 1/4 hours. Uncover, and beat once more. Cover, and let rise again, about 30 minutes.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees. Dip two tablespoons in a small bowl of oil to coat. Working in batches, spoon about a tablespoon of batter into hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until puffed, crisp, and golden. Reduce the heat a little so that the fritters are thoroughly cooked without getting too brown. The light batter produces irregular rather than round fritters.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove fritters, and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Dip fritters in the cold syrup for a few seconds to coat and soak up some syrup. These are best served hot, but they may also be served at room temperature.

BALAH EL SHAM (EGYPTIAN CHOUX PASTRY)

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; add lime juice. Simmer until flavors combine, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the syrup; let cool.
• Stir 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, vegetable oil, and salt together in a pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until batter forms into a ball. Cook until batter is shiny, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
• Flatten batter into the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until batter is creamy. Pour into a cloth piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Heat corn oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until bubbly; reduce heat to medium-low. Squeeze 2 inches of batter onto an oiled spatula and lower into the hot oil; repeat until saucepan is full. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer pastries to a paper bag to drain, about 30 seconds.
• Soak hot pastries in syrup; transfer to a plate to cool, about 5 minutes.

ZALABIYA -- YEMENITE CHANUKA DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients except for the water together.
• If you have to proof the yeast first (I don't) then proof it in a little warm water with some of the sugar.
• If using an electric mixer with a dough hook, start kneading the dough while slowly adding warm water, a little at a time, until you get a pliable, but slightly sticky dough.
• You don't want the dough to be stiff enough to pick up and throw at someone (don't laugh, it's been done before), but at the same time, you don't want the dough to be so gloopy you have to dish it out with a spoon.
• You want this to have a little substance, but still still to the bowl a bit, and to your hands.
• If you are working by hand, just read the above directions, but forget about the dough hook.
• First use a good, heavy wooden spoon, then start working and kneading with your hands.
• Let the dough rise until doubled.
• If you don't have enough patience for this, a good zap in the microwave for 30 seconds on high every 15 minutes or so should give that dough a good burst of energy.
• When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down (feels good, doesn't it), wipe the sticky dough off your hands, and let it rise until doubled again.
• Punch it down again.
• Pour about two inches of oil in a pot that's suitable for deep frying.
• I used a smallish pot and fried the zalabia two at a time.
• Pinch off a ping-pong ball-sized piece of dough.
• Shape it into a ball and then with your fingers, poke a hole and shape the dough into a doughnut.
• Fry in the hot oil, first on one side, then on the other, until golden brown.
• Be careful, they brown quickly.
• Drain on absorbent paper towels, and dredge with powdered sugar.

ZALABIA OR LUQMAT EL QADI

Steps:

• Make the syrup first. Put the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the rose or orange-blossom water and simmer a few moments longer, then chill.
• For the batter, dissolve the yeast with the sugar in about 1/2 cup of the warm water and let stand 10-15 minutes, until it froths. Put the flour in a large bowl and mix in the salt and the yeast mixture, then stir in the remaining water gradually and beat vigorously for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour, then beat the batter once more and let it rise again.
• Make the fritters in batches. Pour little balls of batter by the teaspoon or tablespoon (they can be small or large) into 1 1/2 inches sizzling but not-too-hot oil, and fry until puffed up, crisp, and golden, turning them to brown them all over. You may find it easier if you dip the spoon in oil, so that the batter rolls off easily. Lower the heat a little, so that the fritters have time to get done inside before they are too brown. The batter is light and produces irregular, rather than perfectly round, shapes. If the oil is not hot enough to begin with, the batter tends to flatten out.
• Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and dip them in the cold syrup for a few seconds, or let them soak up the syrup for longer. They are at their best hot, but are also good cold.
• In North Africa, they pour the batter through a funnel in the shape of a coil-they call it a rose.
• Instead of sugar syrup, make a honey syrup by heating up honey with about half the volume of water.
• Instead of soaking in syrup, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.