Zalabia Image by Debbie Prinz/Evan Kent

Adapted from Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food

Quantity: about 12 4-inch cakes

Dough Ingredients:

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

1 package or 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110º F)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, several drops of dissolved saffron or several drops of orange, red, or yellow food coloring (optional)
peanut or safflower oil for deep-frying

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup water. stir in the sugar and let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture, remaining water, and if using, zest, into the well and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will not be very thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Gently stir the batter down to deflate any bubbles, about 2 minutes. Cover and let rise another 30 minutes.

2. In a large pot, heat about 1 ½ inches of oil over medium heat to 375º.

3. Stir the batter down to deflate any bubbles. Place some of the batter in a pastry bag or a squeeze bottle with a ¼ to ½ inch nozzle tip. Moving from the center of the pan, continuously swirl the batter in a steady stream in circular motions to produce overlapping circles about 4 inches in diameter, taking about 20 seconds, to form a lacy coil. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain very briefly on a wire rack or on paper towels.

4. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Serve immediately.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount