Heritage

Monday, August 6, 2012

Luqmat al Qadi - Arabic Yeast Donuts





Luqumat al Qadi (Judge's Morsels)


3 cups flour
Dash of salt
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast

1 3/4 cups water

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Oil for frying


Blend all really well until it's a sticky dough, use the whisk.
Cover with cling film and allow to rest 1 hour. After 15 minutes go back though to check on it and mix it a little. Allowing it to proof in a dark place works best. 


Syrup:

In a pot add the following and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool in a shallow dish.

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
lemon juice

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Method: When ready for frying donuts make desired size of balls using 2 spoons (oiled) to drop in the oil.

Method 1: Remove once browned and allow to soak on a paper towel briefly then add to the syrup immediately to coat and absorb before removing to a final serving dish.

Many arab cooks are talented to be able to drop the luqumat dough into the oil by collecting some in their fists and letting a small amount drop down into the oil but unfortunately I can't do this.














 I developed an interesting method of putting it into a large plastic zip lock or piping back and then cutting a hole in the corner and then holding a scissors with the other hand and dipping the tip of the scissors into the hot oil. Once some pressure is applied to the piping bag the desired amount of dough comes down and with the hot scissors I clip the dough at the base of the bag and it falls into the oil. This method worked pretty well for me..

Method 2: Add the balls to the oil and cook until the inside is done but they are light in color. Remove and set on a plate and keep making the rest of the batches until the dough is complete. At the end wait for the oil to come back to frying temperature and add the balls in again, one batch at a time to get very dark and golden then transfer each batch to the syrup and submerge between 1-3 minutes. Drain and serve! This method works beautifully especially on the larger ones.

I hope you enjoy these sweets, they are very popular during ramadan!





6 comments:

  1. Hi,

    They look great. We have this in Turkey too. Is it crisp or soft? We have both but I like crispy ones :)

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  2. They are crispy but leftovers get soft and I actually like them from the fridge the next day. hehe.

    Feel free to share your recipes or any Turkish recipes with me, I love to learn new things :)

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  3. Are these the same as Kaimati? if they are, We get these in kenya, and they are so delish!!!

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  4. Alisha, yes they are similar from what I looked up but no yogurt in this dough.

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  5. the ones i know don't have yoghurt and also originate from the Arabs, but either way, yours look fabulous! cant wait to try them out :)

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  6. Alisha, then it is probably the exact recipe :D I looked through a few before deciding which one to use but to be honest it is all the same and the easiest dough made with few ingredients, the hardest step for me was just forming them.

    Good luck and let me know how they turn out :)

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