Lokma / Luqaimat
lokma · luqaimat · loukoumades
Small fried dough balls sweetened with syrup, honey, or date molasses and served at festivals, Ramadan gatherings, and celebrations. The related names mean a small bite or morsel.
About this dish
Small fried dough balls sweetened with syrup, honey, or date molasses and served at festivals, Ramadan gatherings, and celebrations. The related names mean a small bite or morsel.
Recipe
Turkish syrup-soaked lokma
Batter
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 250 ml lukewarm water
- 4 g instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Syrup
- 300 g sugar
- 250 ml water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 750 ml neutral oil for frying
- 1
Syrup: 300 g sugar; 250 ml water; 1 tbsp lemon juice. Simmer syrup ingredients 10 minutes and cool completely. Dissolve sugar first, keep syrup pourable and cool fully.
- 2
Batter: 250 g all-purpose flour; 250 ml lukewarm water; 4 g instant yeast; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Beat batter ingredients until smooth and thickly flowing. Cover and rise 45-60 minutes until doubled; stir once to deflate. Use lukewarm water, beat out lumps and rise covered until doubled and bubbly.
- 3
Heat oil to 175°C/350°F. Using two lightly oiled teaspoons, drop small portions into the oil, working in batches. Use lightly oiled spoons, equal small portions and a thermometer in a pan no more than half full.
- 4
Fry 4-5 minutes, turning until evenly golden and cooked inside. Drain briefly and place hot balls in cold syrup for 2-3 minutes, then lift out. Turn gently, test a fluffy cooked center and put hot balls into cooled syrup; lift after soaking rather than leaving them to collapse.
Note
Small balls cook more evenly than large ones. Turkish lokma use syrup immersion; Gulf luqaimat may use a different finishing syrup and spice profile.