Mashmash

Name: Mashmash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Somalie
Ingredients: 240 g plain wheat flour; 270 ml drinking water for batter; 120 g sugar; 140 ml drinking water for syrup; About 600 ml neutral frying oil for bath; estimated absorption 45 g per batch

🍯 Twelve thin Somali fried batter discs with crisp edges and tender cooked centres, sweetened with cooled syrup.

Ingredients

240 g plain wheat flour
270 ml drinking water for batter
120 g sugar
140 ml drinking water for syrup
About 600 ml neutral frying oil for bath; estimated absorption 45 g per batch

Preparation

Dissolve sugar in 140 ml water, bring to simmer and simmer three minutes until fluid syrup, not caramel. Cool twenty minutes.

While cooling, beat flour with 270 ml water six minutes on low mixer or ten by hand until smooth and elastic.

Beat cooled syrup into batter one minute. Fluid batter has no egg or yeast. Prepare small ladle and draining rack.

Heat oil about 170 °C in stable deep vessel no more than half full. Pour one twelfth batter close to surface into thin irregular disc. Never add water to oil.

Fry one disc at a time two to three minutes, carefully turn if needed until edges golden and centre set without raw batter. Check first and adjust thickness and heat. Make twelve.

Drain separately on rack, serve warm two per portion, without stacking hot pieces.