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Luqaimat
Saffron dumplings with date syrup
Luqaimat: Emirati saffron dumplings with date syrup and sesame
When the sun goes down during Ramadan in Dubai, Sharjah or Muscat, plates of luqaimat appear on iftar tables and in mosque courtyards. The little balls of yeasted batter, scented with saffron and cardamom, are fried until crisp and golden outside and soft as a cloud inside, then drizzled with dibs (date syrup) and scattered with sesame. Unlike syrup-soaked fritters, they are glazed only lightly, so they stay crunchy. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of oil on your thumb and a wet spoon stop the sticky batter clinging, so the balls drop round into the oil.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the batter
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- ¼ cup warm milk
- 9 oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast1 sachet
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 cup warm water
To fry and finish
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
- ½ cup date syrup (dibs)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Crumble ¼ tsp saffron threads into ¼ cup warm milk and leave for 5 minutes until the milk is deep yellow.
5 minStep 2: In a large bowl whisk 9 oz plain flour, 2 tbsp cornflour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp ground cardamom and ¼ tsp salt. Add the saffron milk, 2 tbsp plain yogurt and 1 cup warm water and beat with a spoon or your hand for 2–3 minutes into a smooth, thick, sticky batter, a little looser than bread dough.
3 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled, bubbly and stretchy when you lift a spoonful.
50 minStep 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F over a medium heat; a drop of batter should rise at once and sizzle steadily. Common mistake: oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle cooks, leaving doughy centres.
Step 5: Take a handful of batter and squeeze it up between thumb and forefinger, scooping off walnut-sized balls with a wet teaspoon straight into the oil. Fry 10–12 at a time, turning them with a slotted spoon, for 4–5 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over. They often turn themselves.
15 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper. While still warm, drizzle with ½ cup date syrup (dibs) and scatter with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. Eat within the hour, while crunchy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does luqaimat take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 warm milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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