Emirati Khanfaroosh
Rice-and-wheat flour sweet discs scented with saffron and rosewater.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 55 min · 6 servings
Ingredients
- 100 g rice flour
- medium eggs — 4
- 30 ml rosewater
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g ordinary wheat flour
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp baking powder
- vegetable oil for frying, as needed
Instructions
Infuse the saffron
Steep the measured saffron in the separate measured warm rosewater until coloured. Prepare a clean mixing bowl; keep eggs refrigerated until mixing.
Mix Batter
Whisk eggs and sugar until frothy. Mix in the saffron-rosewater infusion. Sift in rice flour, ordinary flour, cardamom, and baking powder. Whisk to a thick, smooth batter. (Do not taste raw batter). Rest covered for 15–20 minutes.
Check batter after resting: 900 seconds
Prepare shallow frying
Heat about 1 cm vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Use small batches and keep the remaining raw batter refrigerated if frying takes time. Keep water away from hot oil.
Fry & Verify
Heat 1 cm of vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes per side until deep golden. Verify doneness by checking that the center of the disc is completely solid and set.
Check first side: 120 seconds
Check the egg-flour centres
Check a thick test disc: the centre must be fully set and cooked through, with no wet batter. Use a food thermometer for the egg mixture to reach at least 71°C. Continue gently if needed; browning alone is not proof.
Drain the cooked discs
Lift fully cooked discs onto clean kitchen paper to drain excess oil. Handle carefully; serve warm rather than tasting hot raw-centred test pieces.
Portion the approximate yield
The base makes about twelve small discs for six servings, about two each; fourfold makes about forty-eight for twenty-four servings. Actual count depends on spoon size, so divide the whole batch fairly.
Chill leftovers promptly
Divide leftovers promptly into small shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at or below 4°C. Use within 2 days. Do not wait for a whole deep pot or tray to reach room temperature.
Tips
- Selected ingredient amounts govern scaling; numbers in the method describe the base batch. Use more comparable pans or cooking batches for large yields, not one deeper pan or multiplied timers. Timers remind you to check readiness and do not certify it.
Common mistakes
- Do not treat a timer or surface colour as proof of cooked centres; inspect the stated texture and temperature where applicable.
Substitutions
- Keep the approved master ingredients and allocations; alternatives may need a different method or quantity. Optional garnishes may be omitted.
Storage
Divide leftovers promptly into small shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at or below 4°C. Use within 2 days. Do not wait for a whole deep pot or tray to reach room temperature.
Reheating
If reheating, heat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout, including solid and bread centres. Stir or turn and thermometer-check several places. Discard reheated leftovers; reheating cannot repair improper storage.
About this recipe
Khanfaroosh combines rice and wheat flours with cardamom, saffron and rosewater in small fried sweets often served with coffee.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.