Shushumow

Shushumow, which also has many other names (kalkals, zinanaande), is one of the delicacies made during holidays and weddings in Somali culture! It's a fried pastry made with flour, eggs, and water (some recipes call for milk) tossed in simple sugar syrup. The dough is shaped into small balls, flattened, and curled over. It is crispy on the outside and little bit soft in the inside. Shushumow is one of my favorites.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 390 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ cup warm water
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 2 cups canola oil for frying

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix flour, 1/3 cup canola oil, egg, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer with an paddle attachment. Add 1/4 cup water slowly and mix until a soft dough is formed, 4 to 5 minutes. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Cut dough into about thirty 1-inch pieces. Press each piece onto the back of a fork and curl it out away from you to make the shushumow.

Step 3

Heat 2 cups oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan over medium heat. Fry shushumow a few at a time, stirring slowly, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Step 4

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and cardamom in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in the shushumow gently until coated in the syrup. Transfer shushumow to a plate and let cool.