Happy Friday! I’ve been watching Marvel’s Moon Knight on Disney+ and am excited to share Moon Knight’s Zalabya! Based on a traditional Egyptian dessert, these sweet and tangy fried dough balls are inspired by Khonshu, the Moon God in the show. These delicious sweet treats are coated in cinnamon sugar and arranged in Moon Knight’s signature crescent.
Ancient Egypt has always been a special interest of mine. When I was younger, I loved reading about Ancient Egyptian culture, gods, and beliefs. I loved learning about the mummification process, the beliefs about the afterlife, and seeing King Tut’s mask in person. And so, I was definitely intrigued when I heard about the new Moon Knight show and how it pulls from Ancient Egypt. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but so far, I’ve really enjoyed it.
And since we’re coming up on the season finale, I thought it would be fun to make something inspired by the show. Of course, I wanted to pull from Egyptian food and so I did some research in Egyptian desserts. I was most intrigued by Zalabya, which are small fried dough balls traditionally covered in a simple sugar syrup. Fried dough, in any form, is one of my favorite foods so I decided to try making those. I made a couple adjustments to make them more Moon Knight inspired — like covering them with powdered sugar to match Moon Knight’s white costume and arranging them in a crescent moon shape, like Khonshu’s staff.
This dough is a yeasted dough, so it ends up being similar to a donut. However, the yogurt adds a little bit of tang to overall sweet flavor. To make the dough, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined. The dough will be wet and sticky, somewhat like a thick cake batter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour. If you want, you could also let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Fill a dutch oven or a deep frying pan with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 F. It’s helpful to use a candy or deep fry thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. Line a plate or a wire rack with paper towels.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag. Cut the tip off the piping bag to make an opening about 1/2 inch wide. Rub a little bit of oil on the ends of two chopsticks or a clean pair of kitchen shears. Place the tip of the piping bag over the oil. Use one hand to squeeze the piping bag and release about 1/2 inch of dough. Use the chopsticks or kitchen shears to pinch and cut the dough, carefully letting it fall into the hot oil. Repeat until the pan is filled with dough balls but not overcrowded.
Fry the dough balls, stirring and flipping them constantly, until they’re golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the dough balls from the oil and place on the prepared wire rack or plate. Repeat this process until all the dough is cooked.
Let the dough balls cool slightly while you combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a medium shallow bowl. You can adjust the cinnamon to taste or omit it completely. Roll the dough balls in the sugar until they’re evenly coated. They’re also great without the sugar and dipped in Nutella!
Serve warm or at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed the same day they’re made.
Enjoy Moon Knight’s Zalabya!
Moon Knight’s Zalabya
Ingredients
Zalabya
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- vegetable oil, for frying
Equipment
- piping bag
- candy/deep fry thermometer
- chopsticks or kitchen shears
Toppings
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Zalabya
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, yeast, and salt.
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Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined. The dough should be wet and sticky, like a very thick cake batter.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
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Fill a dutch oven or deep frying pan with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350 F.
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Line a plate or wire rack with paper towels. Set aside.
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Transfer the dough to a piping bag. Cut off the tip of the piping bag to make an opening about ½ inch wide. Rub a little bit of oil onto the ends of two chopsticks or clean kitchen shears.
-
Place the tip of the piping bag over the oil. Use one hand to squeeze the piping bag and release about ½ inch of dough. Use the oiled chopsticks or kitchen shears to pinch and cut the dough. Carefully let the dough fall into the hot oil. Repeat until the pan is filled with dough balls but not overcrowded.
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Fry the dough balls, stirring and flipping them constantly, until they are golden brown.
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Use a slotted spoon to remove the dough balls from the oil and place on the prepared wire rack or plate. Repeat this process until all the dough is cooked.
Topping
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In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon. You can add more or less cinnamon to taste.
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Roll the dough balls in the sugar mixture until they’re evenly coated.
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Serve warm or at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed the same day they’re made.
Recipe Notes
adapted from cleobuttera.com