Zalabiya -- Yemenite Chanuka Doughnuts

Name: Zalabiya -- Yemenite Chanuka Doughnuts
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 32 doughnuts
Ingredients: 2 1/4 lbs flour; 1 cup sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 ounces yeast; water (I used soy milk); soy oil (for frying) or canola oil (for frying); powdered sugar (for dredging)

Submitted by Mirj2338

"I was chewing the fat (literally, it's Chanuka-time now and we eat a lot of fried foods on this holiday) with one of the bank managers at work, and she gave me this recipe for the doughnuts traditionally eaten on Chanuka in Yemen (or by Yemenites all over the world). I tried them out last night, and they are really good. If you are expecting an airy, light pastry, forget it! These are hearty, good for breakfast, wonderfully chewy doughnuts. Prep time includes dough rising time."

Download

Ready In:: 3hrs
Ingredients:: 8
Yields:: 32 doughnuts

ingredients

2 ¹⁄₄ lbs flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 ounces yeast
water (I used soy milk)
soy oil (for frying) or canola oil (for frying)
powdered sugar (for dredging)

directions

Mix all the ingredients except for the water together.
If you have to proof the yeast first (I don't) then proof it in a little warm water with some of the sugar.
If using an electric mixer with a dough hook, start kneading the dough while slowly adding warm water, a little at a time, until you get a pliable, but slightly sticky dough.
You don't want the dough to be stiff enough to pick up and throw at someone (don't laugh, it's been done before), but at the same time, you don't want the dough to be so gloopy you have to dish it out with a spoon.
You want this to have a little substance, but still still to the bowl a bit, and to your hands.
If you are working by hand, just read the above directions, but forget about the dough hook.
First use a good, heavy wooden spoon, then start working and kneading with your hands.
Let the dough rise until doubled.
If you don't have enough patience for this, a good zap in the microwave for 30 seconds on high every 15 minutes or so should give that dough a good burst of energy.
When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down (feels good, doesn't it), wipe the sticky dough off your hands, and let it rise until doubled again.
Punch it down again.
Pour about two inches of oil in a pot that's suitable for deep frying.
I used a smallish pot and fried the zalabia two at a time.
Pinch off a ping-pong ball-sized piece of dough.
Shape it into a ball and then with your fingers, poke a hole and shape the dough into a doughnut.
Fry in the hot oil, first on one side, then on the other, until golden brown.
Be careful, they brown quickly.
Drain on absorbent paper towels, and dredge with powdered sugar.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

Have any thoughts about this recipe? Share it with the community!

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mirj2338

Givat Ze'ev, 0

Come and visit me on my blog:  <a href=http://www.miriyummy.wordpress.com>www.miriyummy.wordpress.com</a>   October 2011: It's been 10 years since I came into Zaar one day at the recommendation of someone on another website. If you ask my husband (or my coworkers), I haven't logged out since! <a href=http://www.TickerFactory.com/> <img src=http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;15;0/st/20011021/e/I Joined Zaar%21/dt/6/k/f656/event.png border=0 alt= /></a> So what's happened in the ten years since I became addicted to Zaar? Well, I've been happily married, happily divorced, and happily married once again. (Wanna see wedding pictures? Click <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/mirjamdorn>here</a>.) <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=chuppah2.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/chuppah2.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Originally from the Bronx, I've been living in Israel since 1983. I'm married to a brilliant man with the most yummy British accent (this is the part where he rolls his eyes and says, Yeah, yeah, yeah). Let's call him Sushiman, even though he hates that name. <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/52282>Chia</a> gave him that nickname when I was trying to create a dinner to show off my culinary talents. I posted here on Zaar with questions about the menu and since sushi was the main focus of the meal, he became Sushiman. That dinner was just the first of what I hope will become a lifetime of meals together. This is a picture of us taken in September 2005 in Kew Gardens in London. It my favorite picture of the two of us. <a href=http://photobucket.com/ target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/Kew.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting /></a> This comes in as a close second, taken March 2009: <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=Wedding6.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/Wedding6.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> I have 4 of the most gorgeous daughters in the known universe (tfu, tfu, tfu, that's me spitting three times to ward off the Evil Eye). Sushiman has 4 kids of his own, so together that makes us a family of ten, together with my dog and my step-dog (sadly, since I first wrote this my step-dog, Honey, crossed the Rainbow Bridge). We're the Brady Bunch on speed. Not all eight live with us, but everyone is in and out all of the time, so we're thinking about replacing our front door with one of those revolving thingies. If you need help figuring out the whole complicated mess, you can check out <a title=Miriyummy -- A Guide to the Perplexed href=http://miriyummy.wordpress.com/about/ target=_blank>Miriyummy, A Guide to the Perplexed</a>. Here are my four beauties -- from left to right: Adiya, Sara, Nomi and Tehila <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=111.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/111.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> On March 18, 2009, my oldest, Sara, got married to Ariel. The wedding was a clash of cultures and traditions, and we had a blast! <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=171.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/171.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Over 500 people attended our little party... <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=237.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/237.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> ... and Ariel was welcomed into our family in style! <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=225.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/225.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> If you want to see the photo album from Sara and Ariel's wedding, just go <a href=http://family.webshots.com/album/571020179JBDlvf?vhost=family&vhost=family&action=refreshPhotos&albumID=571020179&security=JBDlvf>here</a>. We're just one big happy family, most of the time, really! <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=098.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/098.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Here on Recipezaar I am the host of the <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=29>Kosher & Jewish Cooking forum</a>. Come on in, and let the Jewish Mothers of Zaar feed you senseless! I hope you enjoy my recipes. I have only posted recipes of food that I am willing to eat myself. Therefore, you won't find anything unkosher in my recipes. You won't find any stinky bleu cheese or goat's cheese either. You will find a lot of comfort food, I believe that comfort food is very important. Gay and Troy are always thanking us for making Recipezaar such a great place. I firmly believe that it's Gay and Troy themselves that deserve a multitude of thanks, from us! And I hope I live up to their expectations! Miscellaneous Stuff <a href=http://www.TickerFactory.com/> <img src=http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;10300;6/st/20050624/e/Since We Tied The Knot/dt/7/k/f6c1/event.png border=0 alt= /></a>  <a href=http://www.shinystat.com target=_top> <img src=http://www.shinystat.com/cgi-bin/shinystat.cgi?USER=Mirj border=0 alt=Free website counter /></a> What time is it in Ra'anana? <object width=300 height=25 data=http://www.clocklink.com/clocks/5001-red.swf?TimeZone=IST&Place=&DateFormat=DD-mm-YYYY& type=application/x-shockwave-flash> <param name=data value=http://www.clocklink.com/clocks/5001-red.swf?TimeZone=IST&Place=&DateFormat=DD-mm-YYYY& /> <param name=src value=http://www.clocklink.com/clocks/5001-red.swf?TimeZone=IST&Place=&DateFormat=DD-mm-YYYY& /> <param name=wmode value=transparent /> </object> <a href=http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/40180.html?bannertypeclick=miniWeather2> <img src=http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/miniWeather2_both_cond/language/www/global/stations/40180.gif border=0 alt= /> </a>

View Full Profile