Turkish Tulumba Is a Street Food Dessert Loved by Young and Old (2024)

Tulumba tatlısı(too-LOOM-bah TAHT-luh-suh) is a crispy, syrupy, and ultra-sweet Turkish dessert composed of mini oblong balls of fried dough that are soaked in syrup. The dough contains starch and semolina, which keeps it light and crispy. A popularstreet food, it is prepared by vendors who fry it up fresh on the spot and serve it warm. You'll also find it served in many restaurants, and it's a beloved recipe to offer in big gatherings, from weddings to holiday celebrations, as it's both delicious and budget-friendly.

One of the most traditional Turkish recipes, this dessert has conquered palates all over the region, with variations on it found from Greece to Iran. Tulumba is a very technical dessert, but it is also achievable by the beginner cook as it mainly needs attention to detail and following the right order in the steps. If done correctly, this is a wonderful sweet dessert, so much so that you won't need more than a few little balls.

Don't rush or cut corners, and mainly, don't use oil that's too hot when frying the dough. It won't cook faster, and it might burn. The secret to classic tulumba lies in the temperature of the oil, so a food thermometer is a great tool to have when frying tulumba. When fried well, the puffy balls are cooked through, with a crunchy exterior and moist interior. To make this classic Turkish sweet at home, you'll need a pastry bag with a star tip and a deep skillet for frying.

Ingredients

For the Syrup:

3 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Dough:

2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons semolina
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 to 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup ground pistachios, optional
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Steps to Make It

Make the Syrup

Gather the ingredients.
In a saucepan, stir the water and sugar together. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Reduce the heat and let the syrup simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 1 additional minute. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool off.

Make the Dough

In a large saucepan, add the water, butter, and sugar. Turn on the heat and stir continuously until the butter is melted.
Stir in the flour using a wooden spoon until loose dough forms. When the dough begins to collect around the spoon, remove the pan from the heat.
Carefully, break 1 egg at a time into the dough and stir each in vigorously with a wooden spoon. Work fast as the heat from the dough can quickly transform the eggs into scrambled eggs.

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Add the semolina and cornstarch, combining well.
Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Fry the Dough

Pour about 3 inches of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and heat to 350 F, checking it with a thermometer.
Once the oil is hot, squeeze out small lines of dough directly into the hot oil. Squeeze the dough and cut with a pair of kitchen scissors into 2-inch long tubes. Use a strainer or spoon to turn the pieces over and around so they brown evenly.
When the tulumbaare evenly browned, remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels.
Add them to the cool syrup and let them soak it up for a few minutes, draining them with a slotted spoon and placing them on a serving platter. Repeat the frying process until you've used all the dough.
When serving, pour some extra syrup over the top. Garnish the tulumba with the optional ground nuts. Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to three days.
Enjoy!

How to Make Lokma (Fried Sweet Dough)

Turkish Desserts

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
397	Calories
28g	Fat
36g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 25
Amount per serving
Calories	397
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g	36%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 19mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 36g	13%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 8mg	1%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 25mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

doughnuts
turkish dessert
dessert
middle eastern

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Turkish Tulumba Is a Street Food Dessert Loved by Young and Old (2024)

Make the Syrup

Make the Dough

Fry the Dough

References