Shushumow
Shushumow, which also has many other names (kalkals, zinanaande) is one of the delicacy made during holidays and weddings in Somali culture! It’s a fried, crispy, shaped pastry made with flour, eggs and water (some recipes calls for milk) The dough is shaped into small balls flattened and curled over a fork. They are fried and then tossed in simple sugar syrup. It is crispy on the outside and little bit soft in the inside. My husband loves to eat while it is hot.
You can use one of this for shaping the Shushumow: Fork, gnocchi board, or new hair pick (afro comb) make sure the comb is new and sanitized, and only use it for the shushumow.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons of regular sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup of canola oil
1 large egg
1-2 Tablespoons of warm water (more or less)
2 cups of canola oil for frying
Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Directions
- In an electric mixer mix all dough ingredients together except the water and the frying oil
- Add the water slowly until you get soft dough; mix for about 4 minutes.
- Then let the dough rest about 30 minutes.
- Next cut the dough into small pieces roughly 1-inch x 1 inch. It should be about 50-55 pieces (depends on the size).
- Shape them one at a time by pressing the dough on the back of the fork and curl it out toward the opposite side (away from you)
- Preheat the oil on medium heat. Fry the shushumow in the preheated oil a few at time, until golden brown, and make sure you are mixing it slowly so it cooks evenly.
- Take them out and place them on a few layers of paper towels. This helps drain the oil from them.
- For the syrup, use a medium size pan combine the sugar, cardamom and water together let them come to boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes and turn the heat off.
- Then add all the shushumow to the pan and stir gently (careful not to crush the pastry) until they are coated with the syrup, and the sugar crystallizes.
- Take the shushumow out and put them on a plate and let them cool down. (My husband loves them when they are warm!!)
Enjoy!