Mekitsi

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour
• 250 g thick natural yoghurt, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 7 g fast action dried yeast
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120 ml lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil, for the dough
• 1 litre sunflower oil, for frying
• 3 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
• 200 g sirene or feta, crumbled, to serve
• 6 tbsp fruit jam, to serve
• 4 tbsp honey, to serve

Before you cook

• Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and leave it for 10 minutes until it foams.
• Beat the yoghurt, egg and three tablespoons of oil together in a large bowl.
• Sift the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a separate bowl.
• Crumble the sirene into a serving dish.

Steps

1. Pour the foamy yeast mixture into the yoghurt and egg and whisk them together.
2. Add the flour mixture in three goes, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition.
3. Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes until it is soft, slack and slightly tacky, adding a little flour only if it will not come together.
4. Rub a spoonful of oil over the surface of the dough.
5. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled and full of bubbles.
6. Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy pan to a depth of four centimetres.
7. Heat the oil to 175C, or until a scrap of dough dropped in rises and sizzles straight away.
8. Oil your hands well.
9. Tear off a piece of dough the size of a small egg and stretch it between your palms into a rough disc about twelve centimetres across.
10. Lower the disc into the hot oil, letting it away from you so it does not splash.
11. Fry for 60 to 90 seconds, until the underside is golden and the top puffs up.
12. Turn the mekitsa over with tongs and fry for another 60 seconds.
13. Lift it onto a rack lined with kitchen paper to drain.
14. Shape and fry the rest of the dough the same way, three at a time so the oil stays hot.
15. Dust half the mekitsi with icing sugar while they are still hot.
16. Pile them onto a platter and serve at once with the crumbled sirene, jam and honey.