It doesn’t get any better than this: a crispy delight drenched in simple saffron syrup and customarily served with Persian black tea. This dish is a surprise you can give to your beloved ones, who will surely be astonished. It’s difficult to obtain decent Saffron Zoolbia, but with this recipe, you can easily produce delicious Zoolbia at home.
Where does Saffron Zoolbia Come From?
A classic deep-fried Persian/Iranian dessert called zolbia (also written zulbia or zolbiya) is created with saffron, sugar, syrup, and fermented dough. It is typically served with unsweetened black tea to balance the tastes because it is highly sweet and crunchy.
Zoolbia is a delicious pastry that is extremely similar to jalebi, jilapi, mushabak, and zalabia/Jelabies, and has a culinary equivalent in many other countries. All of these recipes call for a deep-frying batter in oil to form circles or doughnuts.
What is Saffron?
Saffron is a distinctive spice that has an orange-yellow colour. We harvest saffron from a flower called Crocus Sativus, otherwise known as “saffron crocus”, from the iris family. The spice comes from the filament (part of the stamen) in the centre of the flower.
Saffron is expensive because it’s tricky to harvest. The saffron crocus is only in bloom for a short time, and the saffron must be harvested immediately on the day the flower blooms. Because of its scarcity, saffron can be quite an expensive spice.
How You Can Use Dought in Persian Saffron Zoolbia?
All-purpose flour can also be used to produce zoolbia, which is traditionally made using wheat flour. In reality, I substitute the widely used gluten-free alternative arrowroot powder for flour in my recipe.
What is the Difference Between Pakistani Jalebi and Saffron Zoolbia?
The Jalebi is a common dish in numerous Asian cuisines. For instance, Pakistani, Indian and Persian cuisines are the most particular ones that contain different styles of Jalebies. As mentioned above in Iran, the Jalebi is called Zoolbia, Zulbi, Zulabian etc. The only key differences between Pakistani Jalebi and Persian Saffron Zolbia are the use of Saffron and their shape. In Pakistan, Jalebi has one particular shape while in Iran it can be shaped other than one, as given in the above picture. As far as the taste is concerned, both have their own unique flavour and aroma. Persian Saffron Zolbia has a more rosy flavour due to the rich amount of saffron used in its syrup. If you want to know more about Pakistani Jalelabi taste and its authentic recipe you can click here.
Key Steps in Saffron Zoolbia Recipe:
Assemble the water, oil, sugar, saffron, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and yoghurt before beginning to make the zoolbia.
- With a fork, combine the yoghurt, oil, and arrowroot powder thoroughly. Give it an hour to sit. The batter should be thick. But if you want to adjust the consistency, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time. Choose the image below as a guide for the desired thickness because the consistency might vary depending on the yoghurt you use. Add the baking powder after the batter has fermented for an hour, then let it remain covered for an additional five minutes.
- The saffron pinches and a half cup of water should be added to a saucepan and brought to a simmer to create the saffron syrup. Stir the liquid while adding the sugar until it completely dissolves. The syrup should then reach a rolling boil when you progressively increase the heat. When it boils, turn off the heat. In a basin or plate large enough to accommodate the size of the zoolbia you are creating to cool, pour the syrup.
- Put the batter in a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Another option is a large plastic zipper bag. Remove the bottle or piping bag’s tip to create a tiny aperture with a diameter of 5 mm, or slightly under 14 inches.
- To get rid of the surplus syrup, drain the zoolbia on a wire rack. Others prefer them after they have set and further absorbed the syrup, however, I love to serve them right away. The chewiness ends up being added to the crunch. Serve alongside some hot black tea, of course.
It doesn't get any better than this: a crispy delight drenched in saffron simple syrup and customarily served with Persian black tea. This dish is a surprise you can give to your beloved ones, who will surely be astonished. It's difficult to obtain decent Saffron Zoolbia, but with this recipe, you can easily produce delicious Zoolbia at home.Persian Saffron Zoolbia Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
