Zalabia Recipes

Steps:

• To make the syrup: Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add rose or orange-blossom water, and simmer for a few seconds longer. Remove from heat, and let cool. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To make the batter: Whisk to combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Gradually stir in water, beating vigorously until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 1/4 hours. Uncover, and beat once more. Cover, and let rise again, about 30 minutes.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees. Dip two tablespoons in a small bowl of oil to coat. Working in batches, spoon about a tablespoon of batter into hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until puffed, crisp, and golden. Reduce the heat a little so that the fritters are thoroughly cooked without getting too brown. The light batter produces irregular rather than round fritters.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove fritters, and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Dip fritters in the cold syrup for a few seconds to coat and soak up some syrup. These are best served hot, but they may also be served at room temperature.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Set aside in warm place until doubled, about 10 minutes.
• Place flour and salt in food processor. Pour in yeast mixture, milk and 1 cup of warm water. Process for just a few seconds. Add egg and process few seconds more. Continue to process, using on-and-off (pulse) mechanism until flour has been completely incorporated and mixture is smooth. It should be gooey mass thicker than pancake batter and about consistency of muffin batter. If it is too thick, add a little water, tablespoon at a time.
• Transfer batter to bowl, cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and set in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees in a deep fryer, saucepan or wok. Using teaspoon that has been dipped into cold water, drop small mounds of batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Do not crowd fritters in pan. As they are finished, transfer to absorbant paper to drain.
• Pile finished fritters on platter while still warm. Pour syrup over them and sift confectioners' sugar mixed with cinnamon on top, or serve just dusted with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve at once.

Steps:

• Make the syrup first. Put the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the rose or orange-blossom water and simmer a few moments longer, then chill.
• For the batter, dissolve the yeast with the sugar in about 1/2 cup of the warm water and let stand 10-15 minutes, until it froths. Put the flour in a large bowl and mix in the salt and the yeast mixture, then stir in the remaining water gradually and beat vigorously for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour, then beat the batter once more and let it rise again.
• Make the fritters in batches. Pour little balls of batter by the teaspoon or tablespoon (they can be small or large) into 1 1/2 inches sizzling but not-too-hot oil, and fry until puffed up, crisp, and golden, turning them to brown them all over. You may find it easier if you dip the spoon in oil, so that the batter rolls off easily. Lower the heat a little, so that the fritters have time to get done inside before they are too brown. The batter is light and produces irregular, rather than perfectly round, shapes. If the oil is not hot enough to begin with, the batter tends to flatten out.
• Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and dip them in the cold syrup for a few seconds, or let them soak up the syrup for longer. They are at their best hot, but are also good cold.
• In North Africa, they pour the batter through a funnel in the shape of a coil-they call it a rose.
• Instead of sugar syrup, make a honey syrup by heating up honey with about half the volume of water.
• Instead of soaking in syrup, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.