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Mushabbak
Mushabbak: lacy fried batter spirals dipped in cold syrup, from the sweet shops of Nablus, Damascus and Beirut
Glass counters in the souks of Nablus and Damascus are stacked with mushabbak, crisp latticed spirals of fried batter dunked in syrup until they glisten. They are bought by the bag for Christian and Muslim feast days, for Ramadan evenings and for no reason at all, and are best eaten within hours while the shells still crack. A lightly fermented batter piped into hot oil gives the hollow, crunchy rings. The mistake to avoid is oil that is not hot enough: the batter soaks up fat and the spirals turn heavy and limp. Chef's tip: the syrup must be cold and the mushabbak hot; dip, count to three and lift, and they stay crisp for hours.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 14 oz sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
For the batter
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 drops orange food colouring (optional)
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Boil 14 oz sugar and 1 cup water over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until it coats a spoon. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp orange blossom water and chill until cold.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 7 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz cornflour, 1 tsp instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp baking powder, then whisk in 1 cup warm water and 2 drops orange food colouring to a smooth batter as thick as yoghurt. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until bubbly.
60 minStep 3: Stir the batter down and spoon it into a piping bag or squeeze bottle with a 5 mm opening.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep pan to 350°F, or until a drop of batter rises at once in lively bubbles. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Step 5: Pipe the batter straight into the oil in a spiral about 8 cm across, then zig-zag a few lines across it to make a lattice. Fry 3–4 at a time, turning once, until crisp and pale gold.
4 minStep 6: Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain for a few seconds, then drop into the cold syrup for 3 seconds and lift onto a rack. Repeat with the rest, keeping the oil temperature steady.
20 minStep 7: Serve the same day while the spirals are still crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushabbak take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 75 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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