Al Salooq - Traditional Arab Cardamom Pastries (Deep Fried)

Submitted by Um Safia

"Al Salooq are delicious, tender little pastries subtly flavoured with cardamom. These cresecent moon shaped delights are the perfect end to a meal, served with tea or coffee & are very popular during Ramadan & Eid celebrations. Unlike many other Arab pastries, Salooq are quick & simple to make. I prefer to use ghee to make these as it adds a gentle sweetness."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 4 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1⁄2 cup ghee (or melted butter or sunflower oil)
• 1⁄2 cup skim milk (boiled, then cooled)
• sunflower oil, for deep frying
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

directions

1. Sift the flour, baking powder & ground cardamom into a fairly large mixing bowl.
2. Add the melted ghee / butter / oil & using a wooden spoon, mix it into the flour intil you have a crumbly mixture. Slowly add the milk & mix until you have a soft dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth.
3. Take walnut sized pieces of the dough & with lightly floured hands, roll them into fat sausages & then shape them into moons - you can also form them into slightly flattened rounds & then push your thumb upwards in the centre to make the moon shapes.
4. Heat enough of the sunflower oil for deep frying & fry the cresecent moons in batches until they are a golden brown colour.
5. Drain well on paper towels & toss them in confectioners sugar. Just before serving, I like to give them another light dusting of sugar (using a sieve for even coverage).