MIDDLE EASTERN LOKMA BITES
Welcome to Lokma, your favorite place for delicious bites of Middle Eastern delights! Lokma Bites from the Middle East are a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made of fried dough dipped in sweet syrup, creating a heavenly combination of crunchy and syrupy goodness.
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
- 300 g flour
- 2 tbsp milk powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pack instant yeast
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp oil
- Pinch of salt
- Warm water around 1.5 till 2 cups
- Frying oil
FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP
- 3 cups sugar
- 1.5 cup water
- 1/2 lemon juice
Instructions
FOR THE DOUGH
- Add in the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (flour, sugar, cornstarch, yeast, baking powder and milk powder) . Add the oil to this mixture and mix.
- Start adding the water slowly until the texture is very soft and sticky. Personally it took me 1.5 cups of water, but it depends on your type of flour.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, start filling the piping bag with the dough and start piping into small balls into hot frying oil on medium heat and let it fry till it is slightly golden.
- After 10 minutes, drop them once more into the oil until they are golden brown.
- Drop them in the sugar syrup and top with crushed nuts for an extra flavor. You can also serve with chocolate or sugar instead.
FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP
- To make the sugar syrup, In a saucepan, add in the sugar, water and let it sit until it simmers. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
Notes
- If you notice that the oil is getting too hot while frying the dough balls, they might turn golden too quickly on the outside before the inside has a chance to cook through. In such cases, after frying the first batch, simply turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool for about 5 minutes before frying the next batch.
- Once again, it's important for the syrup to be cold when adding the hot fried balls. This allows them to absorb the sweet, sticky syrup perfectly. Additionally, ensure that the balls are still hot when adding them to the syrup, as the heat enhances their absorbency. These simple tips ensure that your lokma turns out irresistibly delicious every time!