Asian Deep-fried Desserts

Turkish tulumba is a hot water dough fritter traditionally found in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, particularly throughout the Middle East and the Balkans. Even though tulumba (lit. pump) was named after a special tool used to make it&... READ MORE

Gulab jamun is a dessert based on milk solids that are kneaded into a dough, shaped into balls, and deep-fried in ghee. The balls then get soaked in a sugary concoction flavored with saffron, green cardamom, and rose water. When served, gulab jamu... READ MORE

Although it is believed to have its origins in Persia, zulbia or jalebi is an international dessert with variations that spread throughout the Middle East, India, and Asia. In its basic form, this sweet dessert is created by combining flour with y... READ MORE

This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is... READ MORE

Falling in the group of popular lumpia snacks, turon is the famous Filipino treat made with saba plantains and jackfruit. The fruit is sliced lengthwise, dusted in brown sugar, enclosed in thin wheat wrappers, then fried until go... READ MORE

Fried bananas or plantains are a common everyday snack eaten throughout Indonesia. They come in numerous versions in which the fruit is simply fried in shallow oil, but more often sliced banana pieces are coated in batter before they are fried unt... READ MORE

Qatayef is an Arabian dessert and a staple of the Ramadan holiday feast. It is a sweet pancake that is usually filled with cheese or nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts. Qatayef can also be consumed plain, topped with clotted c... READ MORE

Yakgwa is a deep-fried Korean dessert that is prepared with wheat flour and sesame oil. Traditionally shaped into round or floral forms, the cookies are occasionally spiced, and after frying, they are doused in a sweet, honey-infused syrup. The na... READ MORE

Khaja is a traditional dessert consisting of flour, sugar, and ghee-based dough that is deep-fried in oil until golden and crispy. After the preparation, khaja is sometimes soaked in sugar syrup, depending on the regional variation of the recipe. ... READ MORE

Deep-fried qottab pastries are traditional Iranian sweets consisting of soft wheat dough wrapped around almond or walnut fillings. They are usually generously spiced with cinnamon, rose water, cardamom, and orange blossom, then shaped into round o... READ MORE

Baursak is a unique fried bread with a puffy appearance consisting of flour, milk, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, and yeast. The bread is fried only for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or memorials. It is believed that the smell of oil ... READ MORE

Sachima is a sweet Chinese pastry that is consumed as a snack, consisting of a deep-fried combination of batter and sugar syrup. There are numerous regional varieties of this popular treat, but sachima is most often sprinkled with sesame seeds, de... READ MORE

Kokis is a Sri Lankan dessert with Dutch origins, consisting of a batter made with coconut milk, eggs, and rice flour. The batter is coated around decorative molds and deep-fried in coconut oil until it develops a crispy texture. Kokis can be cons... READ MORE

Maruya are the famous Filipino banana fritters which consist of sliced or mashed bananas that are dusted with flour, battered, then fried until crispy. The fritters are usually made with Filipino saba bananas and can come in various forms... READ MORE

Bánh cam and bánh vòng are traditional donut-like fritters originating from Vietnam. Bánh cam is traditionally sold together with bánh vòng, and the difference lies in the fact that bánh cam is roun... READ MORE

The hole-less, jelly-filled sufganiyah is a descendant of the German krapfen, which was imported to Israel by German Jews who fled the Nazi regime, although some sources claim that sufganiyah appeared much earlier, in the 1920s. Tradition... READ MORE

Round, sweet, and chewy cascaron is a deep-fried Filipino delicacy usually served doused in sugary syrups. Often referred to as bitsu bitsu, this traditional treat is made with sweet glutinous rice flour, shredded coconut, and coconut mil... READ MORE

Kluai thot, or deep-fried bananas, is a sweet street food item commonly found throughout Thailand. This Thai treat is traditionally prepared with peeled and sliced burro bananas, known locally as kluay nam wa, which are entirely immersed ... READ MORE

Boondi are small deep-fried round balls made from besan (gram flour). They come in a sweet or savor version. The process of making boondi starts with a thick besan batter that is poured through a sieve and dropped directly into sizzling oil, creat... READ MORE

Zlebiye is a Syrian dessert that is usually enjoyed for breakfast. This traditional dish consists of thinly rolled dough that is shortly deep-fried before it is filled with ashta—Levantine version of clotted cream—and the comb... READ MORE

This traditional Middle Eastern dessert is often enjoyed on Iftar (a fast-breaking meal) during the holy month of Ramadan. The dish is made with thin sheets of phyllo dough that are wrapped into small elongated rolls while the center is filled wit... READ MORE

Awameh is a sweet Syrian dish consisting of small balls of dough which are fried in hot oil and soaked in honey, cinnamon, or sugar syrup. Sometimes, awameh is sprinkled with sesame seeds. The name of the dish means floater in Arabic, ref... READ MORE

One of the most popular sweet snacks in the Philipines is banana cue, made by deep-frying saba bananas which are generously coated in a thick layer of caramelized sugar. Because they are usually enjoyed as street food, the sweet bananas a... READ MORE

Originating in Bengal, pantua is a soft, spherical dessert that is entirely drenched in cardamom-and-saffron-flavored sugar syrup. A dough of khoa (dried evaporated milk solids), chhena (Indian cottage cheese), flour, and baking ... READ MORE

Gosh-e fil is an Iranian and Afghan fried sweet pastry that is popularly nicknamed elephant's ear due to its shape. The main ingredients in the dough are flour, sugar, eggs, and milk, which once it's kneaded and rested, is thinly rolled a... READ MORE

Malpua is a sweet Indian pancake made by deep-frying a batter of rice flour, thickened milk, and (quite often) cardamom. These pancakes are traditionally prepared for celebrations and festive events, and they are the most popular in winter and dur... READ MORE

Kkwabaegi are traditional South Korean twisted donuts. They're usually made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, milk, eggs, yeast, salt, corn oil, and cinnamon. Melted butter is mixed with milk, sugar, salt, eggs, yeast, and flour. The dou... READ MORE

These flower-shaped cookies are prepared with a thin batter which consists of rice flour, eggs, and coconut milk. They are made with specialized achu molds which are heated, then dipped and coated in batter, before the cookies are deep-fr... READ MORE

Kuih keria are Malaysian deep-fried doughnuts that are made from sweet potatoes. After they are steamed and mashed, the potatoes are combined with flour to form a pliable dough that is then shaped into doughnut rings. Unlike other types of doughnu... READ MORE

Khanfaroosh is a deep-fried dessert similar to doughnuts popular in Gulf countries, namely Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Emirates. It’s made with wheat flour, rice flour, eggs, sugar baking powder, saffron, cardamom, and rosewater. These s... READ MORE

Chavde is a crispy, deep-fried Indian dessert that's traditionally prepared during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. It consists of thinly-rolled, round-shaped dough and a fragrant mixture of roasted coconut, cardamom, sesame seeds, and sugar. The... READ MORE

Odading is a traditional snack originating from Indonesia. It's usually made with a combination of flour, yeast, eggs, salt, and sugar. Once prepared, the dough is left to rise until it's doubled in size, and pieces of the dough are then fried in ... READ MORE

Hanım göbeği is a traditional sweet pastry originating from Turkey. It consists of choux pastry balls that are pressed in the middle to create a dimple, then deep-fried in hot oil and soaked in sugar syrup. The name of this sweet treat means ... READ MORE

Chiroti is a traditional dessert originating from South India, and it's very popular in Maharashtra and Karnataka. This fried, layered, and flaky sweet pastry is usually prepared on religious festivals such as Diwali and special occasions. It's us... READ MORE

Thekua is a flavorful, crispy Nepalese dessert consisting of whole wheat flour, jaggery, and grated coconut. The dough is traditionally deep-fried in ghee until it develops a reddish-brown color. This unique treat is especially popular during the<... READ MORE

Athirasa is a traditional sweet made with a combination of rice flour, roasted rice, coconut treacle, coconut oil, and cardamom. The ingredients are formed into a stiff paste that is flattened into circles, then deep-fried in hot oil. These small ... READ MORE

Binangkal is a traditional doughnut-like snack originating from the islands of Visayas and Mindanao. The dough is usually made with a combination of flour, milk, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, sesame seeds, and oil. The dry and wet ingredients... READ MORE

Chandrakanthalu are traditional Indian cookies originating from Andhra Pradesh. They’re made with a combination of green gram (moong dal), sugar, coconut, cardamom, saffron, cashew nuts, and ghee. The dal is soaked, ground into a paste, then... READ MORE

Lokhemat is a traditional sweet originating from Oman. It's made with a mixture of flour and yeast that's flavored with cardamom. The dough is shaped into balls that are deep-fried in hot oil until golden. Once done, lokhemat is served with a syru... READ MORE

Arisa pitha is a traditional pancake-like sweet snack and a type of pitha originating from Odisha. It's usually made with a combination of rice flour, sesame seeds, jaggery, sugar, ghee, and oil. The rice is soaked, slightly drained, and ground in... READ MORE

Dhonkeyo kajuru is a traditional snack originating from the Maldives. These fritters are made with a combination of ripe bananas, grated coconut, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and oil. The bananas are mashed and mixed with the rest of the ... READ MORE