The recipe I’m sharing today is for dumplings made in the Arabian Gulf area. They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Making these dumplings requires focus. Don’t misunderstand me; they are easy to make, but to get good dumplings you have to fry them the right way. If the oil is too hot, they’ll only cook from the outside; if the oil is not hot enough, the dumplings will absorb it, and you won’t enjoy them as much. I will teach you how to fry good dumplings, and share the secret of making them crunchy! Add saffron and cardamom to 1/4 cup warm water. Set aside. Sift flour with salt and set aside. In 3/4 cup warm water, add sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. To the flour add the mashed potato, saffron and cardamom mixture, and stir. Gradually add the yeast mixture and keep on stirring, until the batter looks like cake batter (different all-purpose flour brands require different amounts of water). Leave the batter to double in size; may take 30 to 40 minutes. The batter now should have bubbles, and be somewhat bouncy. Heat oil. Take around a teaspoon from the batter, and carefully drop it in the oil; if it floats quickly, the oil is too hot. Scoop the batter with your fingers (take around 1/2 tablespoon from batter); use your thumb to push the batter off your fingers and into the oil, or take 1/2 tablespoon from batter, using a spoon, and push the batter off it using another spoon. After 1 minute of frying, move the dumplings around, using a wooden spoon or spatula; this will make them cook evenly. When the dumplings are light brown, remove them from oil, and place them on kitchen paper. Pour your favorite syrup on top. The syrup should be at room temperature. You should serve these dumplings the same day you make them.

* If your dumplings look like aliens, don’t be discouraged; keep on trying and you’ll eventually have round ones.