Tulumba (Balkan Syrup Soaked Fried Dough)
Crisp ridged choux fingers fried until golden and dunked in cool lemon syrup. Sweet, sticky and gone in minutes.
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.40 a head
- Oven170°C (150°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make the syrup first. Simmer the 400 g sugar, 400 ml water and lemon juice for 10 minutes, then leave it to go completely cold.
10 min - 2
For the dough, bring the 250 ml water, 60 ml oil and 1 tbsp sugar to the boil. Tip in the flour and semolina all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball. Cook for 1 minute, then cool for 10 minutes.
- 3
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, until you have a thick, glossy paste that holds its shape. Spoon into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.
- 4
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 170°C (150°C fan) or until a little dough sizzles and rises steadily. Pipe 6 cm lengths straight into the oil, cutting with scissors, and fry a few at a time for 6 to 8 minutes until deep golden.
7 min - 5
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain for 20 seconds. Drop straight into the cold syrup and turn for 1 minute.
- 6
Lift out onto a rack to drain. Serve warm or cold.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
