Gluten Free Donuts Recipe - Middle Eastern Vegan And Nut Free Donuts
This Gluten Free Donuts Recipe is a Middle Eastern vegan donut that is slightly sweet. It makes a wonderful gluten free dessert for any occasion. These gluten free donuts are drenched with toasted sesame seeds and deep fried. It has a slight sweet taste, and is perfect to serve over a cup of tea. These gluten free donuts are also known as zalabia around the Middle East.
Equipment
- Deep frying pan
- Large bowl
- plastic wrap
- Small serving bowl
- Medium plate
- Parchment paper
- Drying racks
- Cookie sheet
- Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Medium bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Scale
- fine sieve
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 417 g brown rice flour or 2 ¾ cups
- 150 g cornstarch or 2/3 cups
- 13 g psyllium husk or 1 tablespoon
- 16 g salt or 2 teaspoons
- 8 g yeast or 2 teaspoons
- 282 g brown sugar or 1 ½ cups
- 7 g mahlab or 1 tablespoon
- 8 g xanthan gum or 2 teaspoons
- 10 g potato starch or 1 tablespoon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg optional
- 30 g extra virgin olive oil or 2 tablespoons
- 636 g boiling water. Or 3 cups
- 10 g apple cider vinegar
- 21 g anise seeds or 3 tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups toasted sesame seeds
- 1 ½ to 2 quarts of vegetable oil or coconut oil for deep frying.
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, add the 636 g of boiling water with the anise seeds, and allow it to sit until the liquid reaches a lukewarm temperature.
- Meanwhile, into a large bowl, add in the brown rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch, psyllium husk, xanthan gum, salt, brown sugar, mahlab, and nutmeg. Mix using a whisk until well combined.
- Once the anise tee is at a lukewarm temperature, using a fine sieve, strain 530 g of the tea into a medium bowl. Add in the yeast, mix, and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- When you notice froth forming on the tea/yeast mixture, it indicates that the yeast is active and you can proceed with the next step. If your yeast is inactive, you will have to discard it and purchase new yeast.
- Assuming the yeast is active, add in the yeast/tea mixture into the dry mixture along with the 10 g apple cider vinegar, and 30 g extra virgin olive oil. You can mix using your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture will be sticky, but that’s how it should be.
- Cover the zalabia/donuts dough with a plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.
- Lay out a flat piece of parchment paper across your counter surface that is closest to the stove where you will be frying the zalabia/donuts.
- Fill a flat, medium plate with toasted sesame seeds.
- Set a cookie sheet with cooling racks over it to allow the oil from the fried donuts/zalabia to drip over it.
- Once the dough is doubled in size, pour some vegetable oil into a small bowl, and use it to oil your hands. Your hands should be very oily every time you come in contact with the dough; otherwise, you will end up with a sticky mess.
- Ensure your hands are super oily, especially your fingertips. Take a handful of the dough and gently roll it between your hands to form a log of about 1 inch to 1 inch and a half in thickness. Dip one long side of the log into the sesame seeds, and lay the zalabia/donut log onto the parchment paper, sesame seeds side down. Repeat this step with remaining dough.
- Once all the dough is formed into these log shaped donuts, set a large frying pan with vegetable or coconut oil, and preheat to medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot enough, about 350 F, begin frying the zalabia/donuts by adding three to 4 pieces at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Rotate them halfway through the frying process. When done, the donuts should have a dark brown burgundy color. Remove the zalabia/donuts from the frying oil, and set it onto the drying racks. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- Allow zalabia/donuts to cool completely before serving. Once done, turn of the heat, and carefully set the pan filled with hot oil away from the hot burner.
Notes
Update 1/11/2022!
Sorry guys! There has been a slight mishap! I was checking the printable recipe, and it seems that I have forgotten to mention to add the apple cider vinegar and the olive oil into the dough after adding the yeast mixture. I had them listed in the ingredients list, but I totally forgot about the adding them in part. Oops!
No worries though! that problem is now fixed! phew! Both ingredients are now mentioned where they need to be added.
