The Egyptian Epicurean

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Balah el sham (Egyptian Churros)

Carol Mahna

Balah el sham are our Middle Eastern churros (with a bit more chub) and especially popular during Ramadan! I don’t deep fry much at home but these are definitely worth making an exception for. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside like any good dessert. 🙌🏽 Give them a go!

Recipe


Balah el sham

To make 25-30:

For the simple syrup

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • Squeeze of lemon juice

For the fritters:

  • 3/4 cup room temperature water

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp caster sugar

  • 1 cup plain flour

  • 1 tbsp cornflour

  • 3 large eggs

  • Oil for frying

  • Ground pistachios (to garnish)

Directions

  1. Make the simple syrup by adding the sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure not to stir. Once boiling, reduce the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely.

  2. For the fritters, bring the water, oil and sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Lower the heat, add the flour and cornflour, a pinch of salt and use a silicon spatula to combine until it comes together and forms an elastic dough but pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan.

  3. Move the dough to a mixer bowl, cover with a towel and leave to cool down. Use a paddle attachment or a wooden spoon (if by hand) and mix adding one egg at a time until well combined and a stickier dough forms.

  4. Spoon dough into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle (with as many points as you can get). Lightly oil a pair of kitchen scissors and have your frying pan ready on a low heat. Squeeze out and cut about 2 inch flutes into the oil. Make sure the oil isn’t hot at this point and the fritters aren’t touching as they will expand.

  5. Increase the heat and fry turning occasionally until they get medium golden brown in colour. The longer you leave them the crunchier they will get.

  6. Once they’re ready, fish them out with a slotted spoon, drain over the pan for a second then place them in the cooled sugar syrup and coat well. Move to serving plate.

  7. Have them as they are or sprinkle some ground pistachio on top and serve pretty much immediately. Bel hana!

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'Bel hana' is a shorter version of 'bel hana wel shefa' which roughly translates to 'with happiness and good health' and the Egyptian way of saying Bon Appetit.

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