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Ghotab
Ghotab (قطاب): Yazd's fried almond and cardamom crescents rolled in sugar
Ghotab are the little fried crescents that Yazd's confectioners have been making for generations, packed into boxes for Nowruz and carried as gifts by anyone travelling from the city. A tender yogurt dough is wrapped around ground almonds, sugar and plenty of cardamom, fried until blond and crisp, then buried in icing sugar. A common mistake is frying too hot, which browns the outside before the dough inside the fold cooks through, leaving it doughy. Chef's tip: roll the ghotab in icing sugar while still warm, then again once cold, for a thick snowy coat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 oz thick plain yogurt
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp ground cardamomfor the dough
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz ground almonds
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamomfor the filling
- 1 tbsp rosewater
To fry and coat
- 4 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying
- 5 ½ oz icing sugar
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl. Add the 4 oz thick plain yogurt, ¼ cup sunflower oil and 1 egg yolk and bring together into a soft, smooth dough that no longer sticks to your hands; add a spoon of water if it is dry. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Mix the 5 ½ oz ground almonds, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar, 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom and 1 tbsp rosewater with your fingers into a damp, crumbly filling that holds together when squeezed.
3 minStep 3: Roll the dough out 2 mm thick and cut 7 cm rounds. Put a teaspoon of filling on each, fold into a half-moon and press the edge firmly with a fork to seal.
20 minStep 4: Heat the 4 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying to 325°F. Fry the ghotab in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning, until evenly pale gold and crisp. Lift onto kitchen paper.
20 minStep 5: While still warm, roll them in the 2 ⅝ oz icing sugar. Once cold, roll again in the remaining 2 ⅝ oz icing sugar. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ghotab take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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