Kolay Lokma (Easy to make fried pastries soaked in a lemon syrup)
Ingredients
- 200 ml. (7 fl. oz.) water
- 200 gr. (7 oz.) sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 100 gr. (3½ oz.) yoghurt
- small pinch salt
- ¼ tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- 100 gr. (3½ oz.) self-raising flour
- Oil for frying
- Note: With any dessert using a syrup to soak over a pastry or cake - one should be hot and one should be cold. It doesn’t matter which one. So if the pastry or cake is hot the syrup should be cold and vice versa.
Method
Start by making the syrup. Place the water and sugar in a pan on a medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve slowly in the water giving one gentle stir. When the sugar has dissolved and the water becomes clear, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil for another 20-25 seconds. Take off the heat and leave to cool for a good 30 minutes. Even better let it cool completely before you begin the next stage.
Begin making the lokma. Place the egg, yoghurt and bicarbonate of soda in a medium sized bowl. Whisk well, until nice and smooth and shiny. Finally whisk in the flour and make a smooth thick batter.
Heat the oil on a medium heat. When nice and hot (but not too hot) take teaspoons of the batter and with your finger, slide the mixture off the spoon, into the hot oil. You will get some odd shapes but don’t worry this adds to the fun of making them. Watch them bob about and if they don’t flip themselves over, turn them with a slotted spoon.
Keep the oil at a medium temperature - you want the inside to cook well - and you don’t want them to brown too quickly. Turn down if necessary.
When golden, take out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel then drop into the cold syrup. Leave until they are coated nicely.
Serve in a small ramekin dish, with some cream if you like.