Tulumba Tatlısı - Turkish Fried Dough Dessert

5 from 1 vote

Tulumba Tatlısı - Turkish Fried Dough Dessert

'Tulumba Tatlisi', also known as 'Bamiyeh' or 'Balah el Sham', is a traditional Turkish fried dough dessert famous for its crispy texture and syrupy sweetness.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Greek, Iranian, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet: Halal, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 piping nozzles

Ingredients

For the Syrup

2 cups water
2 ¼ cups sugar
2-3 drops freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Choux Pastry

2 cups water
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 ¼ cups plain white flour / all-purpose flour (390 grams)
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon corn or wheat starch
2 cups vegetable or sunflower oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Syrup

Mix water and caster sugar in a medium-sized pot, then bring to a boil over medium heat.
Let it simmer for 15 minutes, and add the lemon juice just before removing it from the heat.
Set it aside and let it totally cool while preparing the dough.

Preparing the Choux Pastry

In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and ⅓ cup vegetable oil, then bring to a boil.
Once the mixture boils, add the flour while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Remove the dough from the saucepan and let it cool down until it doesn't burn your hands.
Once the dough has cooled, transfer it to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the eggs to the dough one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure even distribution.
Next, incorporate vanilla paste, white wine vinegar and starch into the mixture, stirring well.
Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle, approximately 1" (2-3 cm) thick.

Frying the Dough

Pour vegetable or sunflower oil into a deep saucepan. Using a pair of scissors, pipe dough pieces about 2 inches - 4 centimeters in size into the oil.
Try to fit in as many as you can without overlapping. If you can't fit them all at once, wait for the oil to cool before starting the second batch.
Place the saucepan over low heat and let them gently fry until they double in size. Do not disturb the dough at this stage.
When the dough pieces start to brown, which takes about 40 minutes, increase the heat to medium.
Fry the dough pieces until they turn golden brown and crispy, which should take about 15 more minutes. Feel free to gently stir them if needed to ensure even browning.
Transfer the fried dough to the prepared syrup and let them soak for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Remove the Tulumba from the sweet syrup onto a serving plate and garnish with ground nuts or desiccated coconut before serving.

Video

Notes

Ensure your eggs are at room temperature before using them.
Add the eggs to the cooled dough one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure the eggs are evenly distributed.
Use a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip to create the traditional ridged appearance of Tulumba.
For crispy Tulumba desserts, always place the prepared dough into the cold oil. This step is necessary for the Tulumba to expand, puff up, and maintain its shape.
Once the dough pieces are golden brown and crispy, it's best to transfer them immediately to cold syrup.
Try to fit in as many dough pieces as you can without overlapping. If you can't fit them all at once, wait for the oil to cool before starting the second batch.
After cooling and straining the frying oil, you can store it in a sealed jar for later use in frying more dough.

Nutrition