Luqaimat
A saffron-and-cardamom yeasted batter, left to rise until airy, then dropped by the fistful into hot oil and fried until crisp outside and spongy within, finished with a generous drizzle of date syrup. A defining Ramadan and iftar sweet shared across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, its name simply means "little bites."
DessertVegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Gluten, Sesame. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp warm milk
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water, approximately
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1/2 cup date syrup
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish, optional
Steps
- Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, cardamom, and salt in a bowl.
- Add the warm water, yogurt, and saffron milk, and whisk into a smooth, thick, pourable batter, thicker than pancake batter.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until bubbly and doubled.
- Heat the oil to 175C/350F in a deep pot.
- Wet your hand or a spoon with oil, scoop small portions of batter, and drop into the hot oil.
- Fry in batches, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per batch.
- Drain on paper towels, then immediately drizzle generously with warm date syrup.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve warm.