Zoolbia Recipe: How to Make the Crispy Persian Dessert

• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1 pinch saffron threads, crumbled and dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
• Peanut oil or other vegetable oil, for frying

1. 1

   Make the batter. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and yogurt and cover. Let rest at room temperature at least four hours and up to 12 hours.

2. 2

   Make the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture forms a thick syrup, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add honey, rosewater, saffron water, and lemon juice to the simple syrup and simmer until well combined, about 1 minute. Reduce to lowest heat, keeping syrup warm while you fry the zoolbia.

4. 4

   Add baking soda to fermented batter and stir to combine. Add water one tablespoon at a time, continually whisking until the batter reaches a pourable consistency. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle.

5. 5

   Fill a large frying pan over low heat with 1 inch of oil. When warm, test the oil by squirting a small amount of batter into the oil. It should float within a couple of seconds.

6. 6

   Working in batches, make 4-inch swirls of batter in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 6–7 minutes.

7. 7

   Using a slotted spoon, hold the zoolbia above the pan for a few seconds to drain off any excess oil. Transfer the zoolbia to the warm sugar syrup and soak for about 3 minutes.

8. 8

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the zoolbia to a serving dish. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

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