Eid al-Fitr, also known as the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," is a significant religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world. The festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which is a period of fasting, prayer, and introspection. In Turkey, Eid is a time for family gatherings, feasting, and giving gifts to loved ones.
Tulumba is a staple dessert during Eid celebrations in Turkey, and for good reason. It is a dish that perfectly embodies the spirit of the festival. It is sweet, indulgent, and a true labour of love. Making tulumba requires patience, precision, and a lot of elbow grease. But the end result is a dessert that is sure to put a smile on the faces of anyone who tries it.
To make tulumba, you first need to prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt. Then, add in some vegetable oil and water, and mix until a smooth dough forms. The dough should be slightly sticky but not too wet.
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Next, you need to fry the dough in hot oil. To do this, you can use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to pipe out long, thin strips of dough directly into the hot oil. The dough will puff up and turn golden brown as it cooks. Once the tulumba is cooked, it needs to be drained and cooled before being soaked in syrup.
The syrup used to soak the tulumba is made from sugar, water, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The syrup should be heated until it thickens slightly and becomes syrupy in texture. Once the syrup is ready, the tulumba can be added to the pot and left to soak up all the sweet goodness and then garnished with ground pistachios. The result is a dessert that is crispy, sweet, and utterly addictive.
It’s a beautifully versatile dessert to try. You can adjust the sweetness of the syrup to suit your tastes, and you can add different toppings to make it your own. Overall, Eid is a time for celebration, reflection, and togetherness. Whether you are enjoying tulumba or another traditional dish, the important thing is that you are surrounded by loved ones and all things sweet!