Luqaimat

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 50g cornflour
• 1.5 tsp instant dried yeast
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• Large pinch saffron threads
• 300ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 litre vegetable oil for frying
• 200ml date syrup (dibs) or honey
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Before you cook

• Crush the saffron threads and steep them in three tablespoons of the lukewarm water with the rose water.
• Whisk the flour, cornflour, yeast, sugar, salt and cardamom together in a large bowl.
• Have a small bowl of water and a teaspoon ready for shaping.

Steps

1. Pour the remaining lukewarm water and the saffron infusion into the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk until you have a smooth batter roughly the consistency of thick pancake batter, sticky and stretchy rather than firm.
3. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for ninety minutes, until the batter is domed and full of bubbles.
4. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170C, or until a drop of batter rises and sizzles within a couple of seconds.
5. Stir the batter once gently to knock out the largest bubbles.
6. Dip the teaspoon in water, scoop up a small amount of batter, and drop it into the oil.
7. Drop in more spoonfuls, working in batches of eight or ten so the oil temperature holds.
8. Nudge the dumplings with a slotted spoon as they fry so they turn and colour evenly.
9. Fry each batch for four to five minutes, until they are deep golden brown all over and sound hollow when tapped.
10. Lift the luqaimat out onto kitchen paper and let them drain for a moment.
11. Tip the hot dumplings into a bowl and pour over the date syrup while they are still hot.
12. Toss them until every dumpling is coated and glossy.
13. Scatter over the sesame seeds and serve immediately, before the crust softens.