Sudanese Balah el Sham
Cold-start fried choux fingers with separately measured dough water, slurry water, oil and syrup.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 45 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 240 ml all-purpose wheat flour, volume measure
- eggs — 2
- 360 ml prepared thick cold sugar syrup
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for dough
- 180 ml water for panade
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 15 ml cold water for starch slurry
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 480 ml initial vegetable frying oil
- additional frying oil only if vessel depth requires (optional)
Instructions
Measure and prepare
Mix 1 tbsp starch with the separate 15 ml cold slurry water. Measure 180 ml panade water separately: total measured dough water is 195 ml. Keep eggs refrigerated until needed.
Keep eggs refrigerated until needed.
Prepare the components
Heat the 180 ml water, 2 tbsp dough oil and 1 tbsp sugar over medium heat to a controlled boil. Stir the slurry again and add it with all flour at once. Stir vigorously until a smooth cohesive panade pulls from the pan; follow flour cooking guidance, not colour alone.
Stir vigorously until a smooth cohesive panade pulls from the pan; follow flour cooking guidance, not colour alone.
Build the base
Remove from heat and begin cooling checks after 15 minutes. Cool enough that eggs will not scramble, without assuming a fixed time makes the dough completely cold. Gradually mix in the listed eggs until each addition is absorbed and the dough is smooth; never taste raw egg/flour dough.
Gradually mix in the listed eggs until each addition is absorbed and the dough is smooth; never taste raw egg/flour dough.
Build the base: 900 seconds
Combine carefully
Put 480 ml initial frying oil in a suitable deep dry vessel, adding conditional oil only for safe depth. Never fill above halfway. Pipe approximately 5 cm fingers from a star nozzle into completely unheated oil and cut with clean kitchen scissors.
Pipe approximately 5 cm fingers from a star nozzle into completely unheated oil and cut with clean kitchen scissors.
Cook and check
Warm gradually over medium-low heat from the cold start. Monitor hot oil around 170–175°C and adjust before burning. Begin checks around 8–10 minutes, allowing for oil ramp-up; gently separate or turn pieces with utensils once firm enough. Float and golden colour alone do not establish full cooking.
Float and golden colour alone do not establish full cooking.
Cook and check: 480 seconds
Finish the cooking
Continue until centres are fully cooked without wet egg/flour paste, with a selected conservative 74°C centre check as an additional check. Drain with utensils before dipping into the separate cold syrup for about 2 minutes; neither all frying oil nor all syrup is necessarily consumed.
Drain with utensils before dipping into the separate cold syrup for about 2 minutes; neither all frying oil nor all syrup is necessarily consumed.
Finish the cooking: 120 seconds
Check before serving
For every new cold-start batch, cool oil safely off heat before piping; never add water or ice to cool oil. Keep waiting egg dough at ≤4°C and work in manageable batches. For 8 servings use 720 ml panade water plus 60 ml slurry water = 780 ml, 8 eggs, 1920 ml initial frying oil and 1440 ml syrup.
For 8 servings use 720 ml panade water plus 60 ml slurry water = 780 ml, 8 eggs, 1920 ml initial frying oil and 1440 ml syrup.
Serve and store
Serve in 2 portions once safe to handle. Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C and use within 2 days; no room-temperature shelf-stability is claimed.
Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C and use within 2 days; no room-temperature shelf-stability is claimed.
Tips
- Instructions describe the original 2-serving batch. Ingredient controls scale the list to 1 or 8 servings: exactly half or fourfold. One cup is 240 ml, one tbsp 15 ml and one tsp 5 ml. Dry volumes are not gram weights. Use equivalent vessels and manageable batches; times are first checks, not linear scaling rules.
Common mistakes
- Do not add unlisted ingredients or rely on fixed times and surface browning alone.
Substitutions
- Use the stated source states and alternatives; check product directions and allergens.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C. Use within 2 days from preparation, including cooling. These are conservative household limits, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers at most once to 74°C throughout, then serve immediately. Keep unused portions refrigerated.
About this recipe
Cold-start fried choux fingers with separately measured dough water, slurry water, oil and syrup.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.