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Gosh-e fil
Gosh-e fil (گوش فیل): crisp fried 'elephant ear' pastries with icing sugar and pistachio
Gosh-e fil, elephant's ear, is the big, bubbly, paper-thin fried pastry sold from bakery windows in Tehran and Shiraz in the days before Nowruz, and made at home for Ramadan evenings. A soft egg and yogurt dough is rolled almost see-through, pinched into a fan shape and fried until it blisters, then showered with icing sugar, cardamom and ground pistachio. They are best the day they are made, with glasses of black tea. Chef's tip: rest the dough properly; relaxed dough rolls thin without shrinking back.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 pinch salt
For frying and finishing
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep frying
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 oz pistachiosfinely ground
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk the 2 eggs, 2 ⅛ oz plain yogurt, 1 tbsp caster sugar and 2 tbsp melted butter in a bowl. Mix the 10 oz plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, add to the eggs and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough that no longer sticks to your hand.
10 minStep 2: Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes at room temperature.
30 minStep 3: Divide into 20 pieces and roll each one on a floured worktop into a thin round about 15 cm across, thin enough to see your hand through.
15 minStep 4: Pinch each round together at one point on the edge and twist it gently so the rest fans out like an ear. Keep the shaped ones covered with a cloth.
10 minStep 5: Heat the 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a wide pan to 350°F. Fry one or two at a time for 30–40 seconds a side, until pale gold, bubbly and crisp. Common mistake: oil too hot browns them before they crisp, and they turn soft later.
15 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper. Mix the 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and 1 tsp ground cardamom and sift it generously over the pastries while still warm, then scatter with the 1 oz pistachios. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 days.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gosh-e fil take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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