The Fried Middle Eastern Treat That Martha Stewart Calls 'Irresistible'

If there is one thing that people all over the globe love, it's sweet, fried dough. From American donuts (whose hole-punched look came from a Maine ship captain) to Polish paczki and French beignets, the appeal of these warm, fried pastries covered in sugar is timeless. In the Middle East, one variety of these treats is called Zalabia. Zalabia are generally small orbs that are coated in sugar or soaked in syrup as soon as they come out of the fryer — and Martha Stewart is enough of a fan that she featured the treats on her Instagram page.

Although they sometimes go by different names according to where they're made, Zalabia can be found in such nations as Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, and Greece, among others. They even go as far east as India, where you may know them as gulab jamun. These sweet treats are made from a sticky, eggless dough of flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and occasionally warm spices like cinnamon or cardamom. The sugar syrup they are soaked with is often flavored with things like orange blossom water or rose water, and they can be further garnished and flavored with citrus zest or nuts. Zalabia are popular on holidays and times of celebrations, but they are worth trying any time of the year.

One of the earliest (if not the earliest) written reference to Zalabia comes from a 10th century cookbook called "Kitab-al-Tabikh," which translates to "The Book of Dishes." This lengthy book, which contains over 600 recipes and 132 chapters, was written by Baghdad-born Ibnn Sayyar Al Warraq. It is considered the oldest surviving Arabic cookbook. The Zalabia recipe is very detailed, containing directions for creating different shapes and flavor variations. Curiously, the original recipe calls for borax (yes, the same borax that we typically use for cleaning purposes). Needless to say, this ingredient is definitely out of date. (We know better now, and borax consumption is decidedly dangerous.) In addition, the instructions and ingredients in this recipe created a much runnier dough, more akin to a batter, leading to a funnel cake-type of fritter rather than round balls.

Just like with any other type fried sweet, you'll want to remember certain key factors to successful frying, like making sure your oil is hot enough, not overcrowding your pot, and even using parchment paper for extra safe donut frying. As far as the syrup goes, you simply combine two parts sugar to one part water in a saucepan and heat it until it's thickened. Once cool, drizzle in your flavorings. For a traditional flavor, try a splash of rosewater and a squeeze of lemon. You can make rosewater at home by simmering water and rose petals. Dip your freshly fried Zalabia into the cooled sugar syrup and serve them right away for the best flavor.