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Meshabek
Lacy syrup-soaked fritters
Meshabek: Damietta's lacy wheels of piped batter, fried crisp and soaked in syrup
Damietta, the port city where the Nile meets the Mediterranean, is famous across Egypt for its sweet shops, and meshabek is one of their signatures: lattice wheels of fermented batter piped into hot oil and dunked in syrup. Fresh from the fryer they shatter like glass and drip with sugar; by the next day they soften into something chewy and just as good. Families buy them by the box for Ramadan evenings, visits and holidays. The batter needs an hour to ferment before frying. The common mistake is frying in oil that is not hot enough, which leaves them pale, soft and greasy, so test it first. Chef's tip: a squeeze bottle with a 4 to 5 mm opening gives the neatest, thinnest lines.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the batter
- 9 oz plain flour
- ⅞ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep-frying
For the syrup
- 14 oz sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Make the syrup first: boil 14 oz sugar and 1 cup water, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer until slightly syrupy. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp orange blossom water, if using, and let it cool completely.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 9 oz plain flour, ⅞ oz cornflour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water to make a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
Step 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until bubbly and slightly risen. Stir it down and pour it into a squeeze bottle or a piping bag with a small plain nozzle.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F. A drop of batter should rise at once and sizzle steadily.
10 minStep 5: Pipe a circle about 10 cm across straight into the oil, then fill it with a looping lattice of crossing lines, joining them to the rim. Fry 2–3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and pale gold.
3 minStep 6: Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain for a few seconds and drop the hot meshabek into the cool syrup. Turn once, leave for 30 seconds, then lift onto a rack.
1 minStep 7: Repeat with the rest of the batter, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. Eat the same day for the crispest texture.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does meshabek take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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