Tulumba are piped into warm oil because the boiled dough slowly opens up with the steam inside it; if tulumba go into hot oil, the outside closes immediately, the inside does not cook, and the dough cracks. Lokma, on the other hand, are made from a yeasted, fluid dough and go into hot oil at 170–180°C / 340–355°F; if the oil is not hot, the dough falls apart and absorbs oil. The different temperatures for the two desserts come from the structure of their doughs.
Tulumba dough is a boiled dough. Water and oil are brought to a boil, flour is added and cooked on the stove to make a thick dough, then eggs are incorporated one at a time. As the water inside it turns to steam, the dough puffs up and develops a hollow structure. For it to puff, the dough’s outer surface needs to remain flexible until the steam inside opens it up. When the oil heats slowly, the tulumba puff up first, expand, and take shape; then their outsides slowly turn golden and crisp.
That is why tulumba are piped into warm oil. The oil is poured into the pot, and while it is still unheated or only slightly warm, lengths of dough are piped from a pastry bag and cut off into the oil. Turn the burner to medium heat, and let the oil heat slowly together with the tulumba. During this time, the tulumba rise to the surface, puff up, and grow two or three times larger; then they turn golden. Do not rush the frying. If tulumba go into hot oil, their outsides harden immediately, the steam cannot escape, the tulumba crack, and the insides remain doughy.
Lokma dough is completely different. It is a fluid, sticky dough made with flour, water, and yeast; it rises as it ferments and fills with air. As soon as this dough enters the oil, it needs to form a crust: lokma dropped into hot oil at 170–180°C / 340–355°F immediately form a crust and take on a ball shape, and the air inside expands to turn them into round balls. Lokma dough dropped into warm oil instead falls apart in the oil, becomes flat and irregular, and absorbs oil before forming a crust.
Lokma dough is dropped into the oil by hand or with a spoon. To shape it by hand, squeeze the dough in your palm; use a wet spoon to cut off the walnut-sized piece that comes out between your thumb and index finger and drop it into the oil. Dip the spoon in water or oil each time so the dough does not stick. Do not overcrowd the pot; the lokma need space to turn in the oil. Turn the lokma in the oil so they brown evenly on all sides, then remove them with a wire skimmer and drain when they are golden. To tell whether the inside of the lokma is cooked, split one lokma into 2 halves.
The same rule for syrup applies to both desserts: hot dessert goes into cold syrup. As soon as the tulumba and lokma come out of the oil, transfer them to syrup that was prepared ahead and cooled, and let them sit for a few minutes. The pores of the hot dessert are open and draw in the cold syrup; if both are hot, the dessert softens and falls apart as it absorbs the syrup. Check the frying oil with each batch; because the oil for tulumba heats slowly, you may need to let it cool a little between batches. Drain the desserts that come out of the syrup on a wire rack; tulumba left in the syrup for a long time soften.
Comments (3)
Lokma ile tulumbanın hamurunun bambaşka olduğunu bilmeyen çok, ikisini aynı tarif sanıyordum.
Tulumbayı kızgın yağa atıp içi çiğ kalınca hamuru suçlamıştım, meğer yağın sıcaklığıymış. Üç kez tarifi değiştirdim, un markasını değiştirdim, hiçbiri sonucu değiştirmedi. Oysa tek yapmam gereken yağı soğukken başlatmakmış.
Aynı tencerede önce ılık sonra ateşi açarak yükseltmek işe yarıyor mu, yoksa iki ayrı kızartma mı gerekiyor?
Aynı tencerede olur ve zaten doğrusu budur. Tulumbalar ılık yağda açılmaya başladıktan sonra ateş kademeli yükseltilir; sonuna doğru yağın kızgınlaşması kabuğun çıtırlaşmasını sağlıyor.