Luqaimat — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Crispy, golden fried dough balls drizzled with date syrup or honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. These irresistible Kuwaiti sweet bites are crunchy outside and airy inside.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp cardamom
Pinch of saffron in 1 tbsp warm water
Vegetable oil for frying
Date syrup (dibs) for drizzling
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1 Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a bowl. Add warm water and saffron water gradually, mixing to form a thick batter.
2 Cover the batter and let it rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled in size and bubbly on the surface.
3 Heat oil to 175C in a deep pot. Wet your hands and pinch off small balls of batter, dropping them into the hot oil.
4 Fry in small batches for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly deep golden and crispy on all sides.
5 Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels while still very hot.
6 Pile onto a serving plate, drizzle generously with date syrup, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Did You Know?

During Ramadan in Kuwait, the sound of luqaimat sizzling in hot oil is as iconic as the call to prayer signaling iftar.