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Qush tili
Fried dough diamonds with sugar
Uzbek 'bird's tongue' fried dough diamonds dusted with sugar
At Uzbek weddings and family feasts the dastarkhan tea table is crowded with sweets, and qush tili, 'bird's tongues', are the small, crisp ones that children grab by the handful. A simple dough of flour, egg, milk and a little butter is rolled thin, cut into little diamonds and fried until puffed and pale gold, then showered with icing sugar. The common mistake is frying in oil that is too hot, which browns them before the centres crisp. Chef's tip: cut a short slit in the middle of each diamond and they puff into lighter, crunchier tongues.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 oz buttermelted
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
- 1 ⅜ oz icing sugarfor dusting
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Whisk the 2 eggs, ¼ cup milk, 1 oz butter, 1 tbsp caster sugar and 1 pinch salt. Add the 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Roll the dough out thinly, about 2 mm, and cut into 4 cm diamonds. Cut a 1 cm slit in the middle of each.
10 minStep 3: Heat the 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F, or until a scrap of dough rises and bubbles steadily. Fry in batches for 1–2 minutes, turning, until puffed and pale golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
20 minStep 4: Dust generously with 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar once cool. They keep crisp in a tin for a week.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qush tili take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 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 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 eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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