Zalabya or Loqmet el qady is the middle eastern version of donuts. They are crunchy from outside though and covered with powdered sugar or more traditionally a sugar syrup. The best you can ever eat is in Alexandria, Egypt. They are all shaped like perfect sized small balls as in donuts holes. Unless you make them at home like me, then you might get some abstract shapes. It helps with imagination 😉

You want to be amazed, you have to watch how the professional cooks make the zalabia. Unbelievable!!! The way they form the round shaped dough to be thrown in oil is so precise and fast. I found this video on youtube to demonstrate that. Watch it and know that this is not special, this is how they really make it!! I should add a video of myself to show how I do it LOL! I am pretty S L O W.

Ingredients

2 cups of flour
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup of water
pinch of salt
Corn oil for deep frying
Sugar syrup at room temperature

In your mixer at low speed, mix all above except the oil and sugar syrup.

Pour the mixture in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let it rest for 2 hours.
In a deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat.
Bring a small teaspoon and dip in room temperature oil.
Scoop the dough on the teaspoon and push with your thumb to the oil to make “circular” shapes. Good luck with that, you might get a bunny ear or other funny shapes. Kids will like that too!
Pick them out and drain them in a strainer above a plate when they are golden color for a minute.
Dip in the room temperature syrup to cover them totally.
Remove from syrup after 3 or 4 seconds and place them in the serving plate with Qatayef for best dessert night ever.