Qottab
About twelve sealed almond pastries, fried and dusted with measured sugar.
Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 12 min · Total: 1 hr 7 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 95 g Wheat flour for dough
- 0.125 tsp Ground cardamom
- 15 g Powdered sugar for filling
- 5 g Reserved wheat flour for dusting
- 50 g Pasteurized plain yogurt
- 50 g Ghee
- 35 g Ground ready-to-eat almonds
- 15 g Powdered sugar for coating
- 480 ml Vegetable frying-oil bath allowance — Bath allowance, not absorbed oil. Use suitable cookware and ample headroom; never overfill.
Instructions
Mix the dough
Whisk yogurt with melted ghee that is no longer hot. Add only the dough flour, holding the dusting flour separately. Never taste raw dough. Use the scaled ingredient list for 1–8 servings; step quantities describe the 2-serving base. Halve every allowance for one serving, multiply by four for eight, and keep the same thickness and per-batch checks. Cups are 240 ml, tablespoons 15 ml and teaspoons 5 ml.
Never taste raw dough.
Knead gently
Knead gently from 5 minutes until combined and pliable. Do not add unlisted flour, water or oil to change this approved formulation.
Do not add unlisted flour, water or oil to change this approved formulation.
Knead gently: 300 seconds
Rest refrigerated
Cover the dough in a food-contact container and rest 30 minutes at 4°C or colder. Keep dairy dough refrigerated if preparation is delayed.
Keep dairy dough refrigerated if preparation is delayed.
Rest refrigerated: 1800 seconds
Mix the filling
Mix the ground almonds, filling sugar and measured cardamom. Keep the coating sugar separate; the base filling is 35 g almonds plus 15 g sugar and spice.
Keep the coating sugar separate; the base filling is 35 g almonds plus 15 g sugar and spice.
Divide before rolling
Divide dough into about 12 equal pieces, or 6 at half scale and 48 at fourfold. Roll each using only reserved dusting flour into a disk about 2–3 mm thick and roughly 8 cm across.
Roll each using only reserved dusting flour into a disk about 2–3 mm thick and roughly 8 cm across.
Fill and seal
Divide all filling evenly among the disks, leaving clean edges. Fold into half-moons and crimp firmly. Do not assume a teaspoon has a fixed filling weight or use raw flour paste as glue.
Do not assume a teaspoon has a fixed filling weight or use raw flour paste as glue.
Fry small batches
Heat the bath in suitable deep stable cookware to 170–175°C with ample headroom. Fry small batches, checking from 4 minutes and turning as needed; keep tools dry and never leave hot oil unattended.
Fry small batches, checking from 4 minutes and turning as needed; keep tools dry and never leave hot oil unattended.
Fry small batches: 240 seconds
Check seams and coat
Drain and let a test pastry cool enough to cut. All dough layers and seams must be fully cooked, not gummy or raw; golden colour alone is insufficient. Continue frying as needed, then dust with the separate coating sugar once safe to handle. Keep the frying oil at 170–175°C while extending cooking as needed.
Keep the frying oil at 170–175°C while extending cooking as needed.
Tips
- Use the scaled ingredient list for 1–8 servings; step quantities describe the 2-serving base. Halve every allowance for one serving, multiply by four for eight, and keep the same thickness and per-batch checks. Cups are 240 ml, tablespoons 15 ml and teaspoons 5 ml.
Common mistakes
- Timers are first checks, not guarantees; follow this recipe’s actual texture and temperature checks. Keep the approved ingredient allocations separate.
Substitutions
- Use only the listed ingredients and preparation states; no unmeasured substitution is approved for this master.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly in a shallow covered container at 4°C or colder and use within 2 days. This is a selected household limit, not validated ambient preservation.
Reheating
Reheat cooked leftovers once until steaming throughout and the centre reaches 74°C. Do not rely on a warm surface.
About this recipe
About twelve sealed almond pastries, fried and dusted with measured sugar.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.