Today was Rohail's dress up day at nursery on account of upcoming U.A.E National day celebration. He was to dress in traditional Emirati costume. Having done that, with all excitement up early today, to keep up the spirit online I decided to stir up some traditional Emirati dessert to go with the costume as a "back home treat" for him. " Luqaimat " these dumplings, drizzled with honey, date or simply sugar syrup is widely considered as the official sweet of the Emirates. If you are a resident of U.A.E you must have stood in drooling ques to grab your bowl of Luqaimat in the Cultural exchange corner at Global Village or at any Cultural joint for that reason. At least I have!! a couple of times, or to be precise, every Global Village visit. Not only the U.A.E, every gulf country would have it in their dessert list I believe, as I have grown up in Kuwait with these dumplings from Ramadan Iftars to.. any festivity.... you could count them in.
You would find ready to make packs of these Dumpling mix swarming hypermarkets on the eve of Ramadhan. I like to have stuffs home made, and with easily available ingredients, making these dumplings at home is easier than getting a ready mix pack home.
I bet you would consider making it now as you go through the ingredients...!
Ingredients
- For the Dough:-
- All purpose flour- 1 Cup
- Corn flour- 1 tbsp
- Sugar- 1 tsp
- Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
- Instant yeast- 1/2 tsp
- Oil- 1 tsp
- Saffron- a pinch(optional)
- Warm water- 3/4 cup (may need more or less according to the dough consistency)
- White sesame- for sprinkling over the dumplings before serving(optional)
- Oil for frying
- For the syrup:-
- You can use, ready made date syrup or Home made sugar syrup or simply honey as per your taste and choice.
- For the regular sugar syrup:
- Sugar-1 cup
- Water-1 cup
- Crushed cardamoms- 1/4 tsp
- Saffron - a pinch(optional)
- Rose water- 1/2 tsp
Directions
- 1Mix all the dry ingredients mentioned under heading "for the dough" along with oil and water little at a time. Mix to make a soft sticky dough. Cover, keep in a warm place and allow to rise to double. About an hour. Meantime you can go ahead to make the sugar syrup.
- To make the Sugar syrup:-
- 1Mix all the ingredients mentioned under heading: for Sugar syrup". Boil till it reaches a this syrup consistency. Allow to cool to room temperature before drizzling on the dumplings.
- 2Now over to the dumpling dough. Once it is doubled, heat oil for frying, once hot , reduce the flame to medium heat. Take about a teaspoon of dough with damp finger tips, drop it to the oil carefully, shaping a ball and pushing with your thumb.
- 3Move the dumplings around with a spatula to ensure being cooked evenly on all sides.
- 4Once the dumplings are evenly light brown, remove them from oil and place them on a kitchen paper.
- 5Pour your favorite syrup, Date syrup, Honey or Sugar syrup over the dumplings, sprinkle some sesame and enjoy! (I used honey to watch my diet, as I din't have dates syrup handy. For the traditional touch I suggest date syrup)
