lokma — Iraq

In Iraq, this dish is made from a soft, yeasted batter, sometimes tinted a pale gold with a pinch of saffron or turmeric, dropped into hot oil until it puffs into small, rounded balls with a crackly outside and a moist, tender crumb. This version is reported from Iraq, where it is served as a festive sweet at gatherings and celebrations, often prepared in batches large enough to share and handed round on trays rather than plated individually. To prepare it, flour, yeast, sugar, salt and warm water, along with the saffron or turmeric if used, are mixed into a batter loose enough to be dropped from a spoon, then left to ferment until visibly risen and bubbly. The batter is fried in hot oil in small batches, turned so it colours evenly, then lifted out and drained. What sets this version apart is the syrup, cooked from sugar and water with crushed cardamom pods steeped in while it simmers, giving the finished balls a warm, spiced fragrance distinct from the plainer lemon or the floral rosewater and orange-blossom syrups used further west. The balls are served warm, sometimes with a few extra cardamom pods left visible in the syrup.