My mom is a very good cook when it comes to middle eastern dishes.Actually, maybe too good, because she never measures, doesn't really know "how much" ingredients she uses, she just eye balls things.
So when I ask"Mom,how do you make this", she says"oh start with some of this, then add a little of that, and some more of that until it looks like this", well, I rarely get it. Even though I tend to cook many dishes with no recipes, I guess it runs in the genes.
Anyway, me and my sister have been getting on my mother's case to try and maybe measure some of her recipes so we can use them. And what do you know, after so many years, she did come through!
Recently she called me with this recipe for one of the easiest and delicious middle eastern desserts. Actually, come to think about it, Greece has a similar dessert too, but I think they use cinnamon in the recipe. In Turkey, they don't use the mashed potatoes.There are many variations of this recipe, but this is my mother's,and it is yummy.
The dessert is called Lokmat-al-qadi, which translates to bite-full for the judge. I don't know where the name comes from, but it is very popular. It is more or less fried donuts with sugar syrup coating. Yes, fried and with sugar, maybe not the healthiest thing, but we all deserve a splurge every once and a while.
Ingredients:
~11/2 cups of flour
~2 tablespoons mashed potatoes
~1/2 teaspoon dried active yeast.
~1teaspoon sugar
~about 1/2 cup of lukewarm water
~oil for frying
For the syrup:
~2 cups of sugar
~1 cup of water
~1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation:
~In a bowl, mix the flour with the yeast,sugar and mashed potatoes .While whisking, add enough lukewarm water until you reach moist dough consistency, about half a cup whisking for 2-3 minutes.Let the dough sit covered for couple hours, until it is frothy.
~About twenty minutes before you are ready to fry the donuts, prepare the syrup by combining the water, sugar and lemon juice and heat until it boils, then let simmer for 10 minutes or so until it is thick enough. Avoid too much stirring.
~Once your syrup is ready, and your dough is frothy, heat enough oil for frying in a deep fryer or a deep saucepan. Once the oil is hot enough, about 370 F or so, scoop some of the dough with a spoon and carefully drop in the oil. After a minute or so, the donut will float, and another minute or so you can turn it to the other side. It is done when it has a golden color. You can fry multiple donuts at a time, and you can make them whatever size you like, I make them a little bigger, because I know if they are small I'll eat more than one anyway, and why stand in front of he fryer forever? But it is totally up to the cook.Once the donut is golden, take it out of the oil and wipe it on a paper towel to remove any excess oil, and then while it is still hot, dip in the syrup, both sides and put aside. Repeat the process until you are out of dough. It is helpful to have a cup of cold water to dip your spoon, or your hand ,in between scooping the dough bites.
~It is best eaten warm, but it could be eaten cold too.
~If you want it even sweeter, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.
~This recipe yields a dozen good size balls.
This is what inside the balls looks like:
Enjoy!
Comments (11)
I've never heard of those, they look delicious! I'm glad your mom is passing on her recipes (and with measurements!).
Posted by Annie | March 31, 2009 7:16 AM
Posted on March 31, 2009 07:16
Hi Candi, wow these looks so delicious! Thank you (and big thanks to your Mom too) for sharing your mom's recipe and for posting it here along with you wonderful photos! Have a great day!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | March 31, 2009 12:13 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 12:13
They look yummy. I'm glad your mom gave you the recipe and that you are sharing it with your readers. Thanks!
There's a similar desert in Latin America and the recipe varies a bit by country. It is called buñuelos.
Posted by María I. | March 31, 2009 1:06 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 13:06
Annie and Kathy, thanks for the nice comments.
Maria- I had to google buñuelos. It looks very good, and very similar. I think they have fillings though right? I've never had the Lokma filled with anything, although I can imagine, filling will be make it only better.
Posted by candi | March 31, 2009 3:30 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 15:30
Mmmmmmm these DO look delicious!
I sure wish I could ask my mom for her recipes!
Posted by Palma | March 31, 2009 3:36 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 15:36
These look great, and I'll bet the potato gives a nice texture.
Posted by Amy | March 31, 2009 3:58 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 15:58
Candi, these look great! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I remember my aunt telling me that she stood over my grandmother as she was baking and actually measured the ingredients so that she could write a recipe on paper
Posted by sheri | March 31, 2009 6:30 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 18:30
Looks and sounds delicious! I love anything with potato so I bet I would like these.
Posted by Chiocciola | March 31, 2009 7:04 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 19:04
Those do look great, and I'll bet the lemon in the syrup gives them a nice bit of zest!
I also love the name!
Posted by sandrac | March 31, 2009 7:37 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 19:37
Palma, I am glad I got this one, and there are few others that are WIP.
Amy, I am not sure I had them without the potatoes, but my mother says it is more for the texture like you said.
Sheri, I tried that. But my mom would boot me out of kitchen.
Chiocciola, you won't taste the potatoes much, but it is good.
Sandra, I always liked the name too.And yes I love the lemon in the syrup.
Posted by candi | March 31, 2009 9:13 PM
Posted on March 31, 2009 21:13
These look soooo good! I am glad you mom is starting to measure her ingredient for you and your sister. My mom never measured either but finally did for us and left us some great recipes our family treasures.
Posted by girasoli | April 1, 2009 4:11 AM
Posted on April 1, 2009 04:11