Kalimati

In my family, these fluffy, chewy East African doughnuts are an exclusive Ramadan treat and the highlight of so many iftars. They’re truly unlike any other doughnut I’ve tried. The minimally mixed yeasted dough contains yogurt for an extra-tender final product, and there’s no rolling or punching required. Instead, scoop the dough straight into hot oil and watch it puff and turn golden. To top it off, these little delights get tossed in perfumed simple syrup—I love the sweet, earthy notes of cardamom, but you can easily swap it for saffron or your favorite aromatic spice. Finishing with flaky sea salt is not traditional, but I find it perfectly balances all the sweet notes. —Zaynab Issa

For an iftar-worthy spread, pair this recipe with Afghan Pasta, Saffron Milk Cake, and Mango-Lime Spritzer, and read about how Zaynab hosts iftar here.

Whisk one ¼-oz. packet instant yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. baking powder, and 1 cup water in a bowl to combine. Using a rubber spatula, mix in 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour until a very sticky, almost batter-like dough forms. Cover bowl and let dough sit in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, bring ¾ cup sugar, 1 tsp. ground cardamom, ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and ½ cup water to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook until syrup is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy saucepan to come 3″ up sides and fit with thermometer. Heat over medium until thermometer registers 325°.

Release dough from sides of bowl with rubber spatula and gently fold to gather. Using a #100 cookie scoop or 2 small spoons and working in batches of 8 or so, carefully drop balls of dough into oil and fry until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer kalimati to paper towels and let cool slightly.

Place kalimati in a medium bowl and pour reserved syrup over; toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving, if desired.