Zalabia
Yemen's after-iftar sweet: small cardamom-and-saffron-scented fried dough balls drenched in honey. Crisp shell, soft middle, sticky-glazed top.
Overview
A loose, slightly slack yeasted batter (no kneading) rises for 1 hour. Small balls are scooped with two teaspoons or by hand-squeeze, dropped into hot oil at 170°C, fried until golden, drained briefly, then soaked in honey while still warm. The cardamom and saffron flavour the batter; the honey sets a glossy thin coat on the outside.
Ingredients
Batter
- 350 g plain flour
- 50 g cornflour
- 1 sachet (7 g) fast-action yeast
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 large pinch saffron threads (bloomed in 1 tablespoon hot water)
- 400 ml warm water (more if needed)
- 1 litre vegetable oil for deep frying
Honey soak
- 250 g dark honey
- 100 ml water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
Stage 1 - Batter
- Whisk flour, cornflour, yeast, sugar, salt and cardamom in a bowl.
- Add the saffron-water and the warm water gradually; whisk to a thick, sticky batter (like pancake batter but slightly stiffer).
- Cover; rest in a warm spot 1 hour until visibly bubbly and almost doubled.
Stage 2 - Honey soak
- Warm the honey, water and lemon juice in a small pan until just combined and pourable.
- Keep on a low heat - the syrup needs to be warm but not boiling.
Stage 3 - Fry
- Heat the oil to 170°C in a wide deep pan.
- Wet your hand; scoop the batter and squeeze through your thumb-and-forefinger fist into the hot oil (or use two teaspoons dipped in water).
- Fry in batches of 6-8 small balls, 2-3 minutes total, turning, until deep gold all over.
- Lift onto kitchen paper for 5 seconds to drain.
Stage 4 - Soak
- While still hot, dunk each ball into the warm honey syrup for 5 seconds, lift, drain on a wire rack.
- Repeat with all balls.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Stack on a plate. Eat warm, by twos or threes, with strong cardamom tea or coffee.
Notes
- Soak briefly: A 5-second dip glazes; longer makes them spongy.
- Saffron and cardamom: Yemeni signature. Skip the saffron if you don't have it; double the cardamom slightly to compensate.
- Warm syrup is the key: Cold syrup glues to the surface and slides off; hot syrup soaks into the warm dough and sets thin and glossy.
Storage
- Best fresh, eaten warm. Keep 2 days at room temperature in a tin; they soften as they sit.
- Don't refrigerate - the honey crystallises.
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