Beignets Comoriens

About This Recipe

Beignets comoriens are soft, pillowy fritters fragrant with cardamom and enriched with coconut milk. The batter comes together quickly and the fritters puff up in hot oil into irregular golden balls, slightly crisp on the outside and fluffy within. They are sold from street stalls throughout the Comoros, often dusted with powdered sugar and eaten hot with sweet black tea. Their intoxicating aroma of cardamom and fried dough is the signature scent of a Comorian morning.

Ingredients

Serves 20

• 250 gplain flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 2 tbspsugar, plus extra to dust
• 1/2 tspground cardamom
• 180 mlcoconut milk
• vegetable oilfor deep-frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Make batter

   Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and cardamom together. Add coconut milk and stir to a smooth, thick batter. Rest 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Heat oil

   Heat oil in a deep saucepan or wok to 175 °C. Drop a small blob of batter in — it should sizzle immediately and rise to the surface.

3. 3

   Fry fritters

   Working in batches, drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the oil. Fry 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden on all sides. Do not overcrowd.

4. 4

   Drain and dust

   Drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar and serve hot.

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of cinnamon alongside the cardamom for extra warmth.

• •

  Stir shredded coconut into the batter for a chewier texture.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep 1 day at room temperature; re-crisp briefly in a hot oven.

Frequently Asked Questions