makes
40
prep
20 minutes
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
40
serves
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- ½ tsp saffron powder
- 280 g (1 cup) natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra, to deep-fry
Kewari syrup
- 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- ½ tsp saffron threads
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp kewari (see Note) or orange-blossom water
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
Standing time 4 hours
Instructions
Place flours, saffron powder and yoghurt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in 225 ml water until smooth and batter coats your finger; add more water if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 4 hours.
To make syrup, stir all ingredients and 185 ml water in a saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Fill a deep-fryer or large wok one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 160°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 20 seconds). Add baking powder and oil to the batter and whisk until smooth. Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½ cm piping nozzle. Working quickly in batches, pipe batter into oil in a circular motion to form coils. Cook, spooning hot oil over the top, for 3 minutes or until golden and cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and quickly dip in warm syrup. Transfer to a large tray to cool.
Note
• Kewari, from Indian food shops, is flower-fragranced water similar to rose water.
As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 11, pg86. Photography by Jason Loucas.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
