Luqaimat is a well-known Arab dessert and a 'must have' in Arab homes for Iftar. Also known as a crunchy sweet dumpling, it varies from country to country and I had a wonderful opportunity to see it being made 'up close and personal' at Muscat Festival 2015 last Thursday.
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| My 'Golden bowl of delights' Luquaimat, accompanied by a delicious cardamom tea. |
Halfway through my visit to Muscat Festival 2015, I found myself feeling slightly peckish and the need for a cup of tea was very strong. Heading towards the food stalls, I was wondering exactly what I should have when I heard someone calling out to me. It turned out to be the heroine of today's story, Fathiya, a 43 year old from Rustaq who showed me exactly how it was made, patiently answered all my queries and best of all, allowed me to photograph her at each stage.
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| Fathiya putting the dumplings into hot oil |
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| "See they are turning golden in colour"- she tells me |
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| Moved to a draining bowl and left for a few minutes |
Moving to the sit down area, I sat and enjoyed my teatime treats and moved on...refreshed and thoroughly rejuvenated!
For those of you who might be interested in trying it out, I have located a variation of the basic recipe that uses condensed milk at the last stage. In my opinion that really makes it even more delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 3/4 – 1 cup of water
- Condensed milk
- Oil to taste
Method
- Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
- Gradually add the water and keep on mixing until you get a smooth batter. It should be in dripping consistency( not too watery or too thick)
- Cover the batter for 1 or 2 hours until the batter has doubled. The batter now should have bubbles and look somewhat bouncy.
- Heat oil in a wok. Scoop a small amount of batter with your fingers and drop them into the hot oil
- Fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen paper.
- Pour condensed milk or your favorite syrup on top.
Sit back with friends and enjoy with a hot cup of tea, coffee or better still, on their own.
