Zoolbia Bamieh

The story

Zoolbia Bamieh is a Iranian dessert with a clear sense of place. Zoolbia and bamieh are often paired in Iran, especially during Ramadan. Zoolbia forms lacy fermented-looking spirals while bamieh resembles small ridged choux-style fritters. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 350 g caster sugarfor syrup
• 220 ml waterfor syrup
• 45 ml rosewater
• 0.2 g saffron threadsbloomed
• 10 ml lemon juice
• 180 g plain yoghurtfor zoolbia
• 120 g cornflour
• 40 g plain flourfor zoolbia
• 0.25 tsp baking soda
• 250 ml waterfor bamieh dough
• 50 g butter
• 160 g plain flourfor bamieh
• 3 piece eggs
• 1400 ml neutral frying oil

Method

1. First make the syrup

   First make the syrup: simmer sugar and water 8 minutes, then add rosewater, bloomed saffron and lemon juice. Cool completely; hot syrup would soften the fritters too aggressively.

   Tip: Keep syrup cool and fry until truly crisp before the brief soak; syrup should coat rather than saturate the centre. Avoid: Hot syrup turns fritters soggy, oil that is too cool makes them greasy and adding eggs to very hot bamieh dough can scramble them.

2. For zoolbia, whisk yoghurt, cornflour, 40 g

   For zoolbia, whisk yoghurt, cornflour, 40 g flour and baking soda into a pourable batter. Rest 30 minutes, then transfer to a squeeze bottle with a narrow opening.

3. For bamieh, bring 250 ml water and

   For bamieh, bring 250 ml water and butter to a boil. Add 160 g flour at once and beat over low heat until a smooth dough forms and leaves a film on the pan. Cool 10 minutes, then beat in eggs gradually.

   Look for: a smooth dough forms and leaves a film on the pan

4. Heat oil to about 170°C

   Heat oil to about 170°C. Pipe zoolbia batter into loose overlapping spirals and fry until crisp and pale gold. Drain briefly, then immerse in cold syrup for 20–30 seconds and drain on a rack.

   Look for: crisp and pale gold

5. Pipe bamieh dough through a star nozzle

   Pipe bamieh dough through a star nozzle into 4–5 cm lengths directly over the oil, cutting with scissors. Fry until deeply golden and crisp, then soak briefly in syrup.

   Look for: deeply golden and crisp, then soak briefly in syrup

6. Allow both sweets to drain and cool

   Allow both sweets to drain and cool before arranging together. They should remain crisp at the edges despite the syrup.

   Look for: Zoolbia snaps at the edges and bamieh is golden with a hollow tender interior.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.