42 Traditional dishes of Cyprus INGREDIENTS FOR THE BATTER • 875 g plain flour (7 cups) • ½ tsp salt • 1 sachet dried yeast (7 g) • 1–2 small potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed (about 150–200 g) • 500–600 ml lukewarm water (enough to make a soft batter) • Sunflower or corn oil, for deep frying FOR THE SYRUP • 1.5 L water (6 cups) • 800 g sugar (4 cups) • 1 cinnamon stick • ½ tsp lemon juice • 3–4 cloves METHOD Prepare the Batter 1. Sift the flour with the salt in a large bowl and stir in the yeast. 2. Add the mashed potatoes and gradually pour in lukewarm water, mixing until you have a soft, sticky batter. 3. Cover and let the batter stand in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Prepare the Syrup 4. Meanwhile, make the syrup: combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon juice, and cloves in a saucepan. 5. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to cool completely. Fry the Loukoumádes 6. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170–180°C. 7. Using a spoon dipped in cold water, drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil (to prevent sticking). 8. Fry in batches until golden brown on all sides (3–4 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Finish & Serve 9. Dip the loukoumádes briefly in the cooled syrup. Using a slotted spoon, remove and place in a serving bowl. 10. Serve warm, ideally within the same day. Tips • For extra flavour, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon or crushed walnuts instead of (or in addition to) syrup. • Best eaten immediately, while crispy outside and fluffy inside. • Batter should be sticky — not runny like pancake batter, but not as firm as bread dough. Loukoumádes (Honey Puffs) VEGETARIAN
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