Iran Press/Iran News: Bamieh is a small fried sweet, maybe a kind of donut, which is rolled in the rose water and Saffron syrup. The same way is cooked Zulbia, but it’s thinner and crunchier. Diabetics bear in mind that if you start eating one of these cookies, you can’t help the rest!
Zoolbia and bamieh are fried desserts from the Middle East that are coated in rose water and saffron syrup, but these Persian recipes have different shapes and are made with different types of dough.
Bamieh is made with a choux pastry-like dough and shaped using a star-tipped piping bag, like churros with a donut texture.
Zulbia is made with a thin batter and shaped using a squeeze bottle, similar to funnel cakes with a crispier texture.
Ingredients
½ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
¼ cup yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rose water
1 pinch saffron threads, crumbled and dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon baking soda.
Peanut oil or other vegetable oil, for frying
Make the batter. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and yogurt and cover. Let rest at room temperature for at least four hours and up to 12 hours.
Make the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture forms a thick syrup, about 5 minutes.
Add honey, rosewater, saffron water, and lemon juice to the simple syrup and simmer until well combined, about 1 minute. Reduce to the lowest heat, keeping syrup warm while you fry the zoolbia.
Add baking soda to the fermented batter and stir to combine. Add water one tablespoon at a time, continually whisking until the batter reaches a pourable consistency. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle.
Fill a large frying pan over low heat with 1 inch of oil. When warm, test the oil by squirting a small amount of batter into the oil. It should float within a couple of seconds.
Working in batches, make 4-inch swirls of batter in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 6–7 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, hold the zoolbia above the pan for a few seconds to drain off any excess oil. Transfer the zoolbia to the warm sugar syrup and soak for about 3 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the zoolbia to a serving dish. Let cool to room temperature and serve.
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Read More:
Iranian Food: Persian Haleem (Wheat and Meat Porridge)
Iranian Food: Kotlet (Persian Meat Patties)
