Arabic dessert Luqaimat
Origin of the recipe
Luqaimat is one of the traditional sweet desserts Muslims prepare during Ramadan and eat after sunset. These are fried dough balls, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which in the East are a substitute for our crumpets. While not very sweet on their own, they are served in syrup or honey. Preparing luqaimat on the street is like a performance—the balls are expertly dropped into a frying pan of oil.
What do you need for cooking?
Ingredients
Dough
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Flour
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Cornstarch
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Yeast
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Sugar
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Dry milk
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Salt
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Baking powder
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Vegetable oil
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Water
Syrup
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Sugar
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Water
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Cardamom
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Lemon juice
Kitchen utensils
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Deep frying pan
- Skimmer
- plastic bottle
Step-by-step recipe
Step 1:
Place flour, dry yeast, sugar, dry milk, cornstarch, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Step 2:
Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Step 3:
Add warm water in portions, mixing the dough with your fingers
Step 4:
After kneading the liquid dough until smooth, cover tightly with film and leave for 30 minutes.
Step 5:
Pour sugar into a ladle, add water, lemon juice, and throw in three or four split cardamom seeds.
Step 6:
Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, then remove the cardamom and let the syrup cool completely.
Step 7:
Knead the risen dough.
Step 8:
Fill a plastic bottle with dough and close it with a lid with a hole made a little more than a centimeter in diameter.
Step 9:
Pour a large amount of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or roasting pan and heat it.
Step 10:
Squeeze the dough into the oil little by little from the bottle, cutting off pieces with scissors.
Step 11:
Cook the balls in batches in boiling oil until lightly golden brown, then remove them from the oil and let them cool.
Step 12:
Heat the oil again, drop the balls in and fry until golden brown.
Step 13:
Place the balls in a bowl with the syrup and let them soak for 1 minute, stirring.
Step 14:
Place the lukaimat in a sieve, draining off excess syrup, and serve.
Cooking tips
Lukaimat balls can be made in a variety of ways, including simply scooping up the batter with a teaspoon. Dip the spoon in water first to prevent the batter from sticking. You can also form the balls with your fingers dampened with water.
Instead of cardamom, you can add a pinch of saffron to the syrup. You can also simply drizzle the balls with date syrup or honey.
After removing the lukaimat balls from the syrup, you can sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
