This is the Sadeh family recipe for noon masti, fluffy, fried dough coated in confectioners’ sugar. The addition of yogurt tenderizes the gluten in the dough, making a soft and light treat that goes perfectly with chai.
Get the backstory to this recipe by listening to Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh describe their cookie traditions on a recent episode of Seasoned.
Sweet Yogurt Fritters (Noon Masti)
Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 g) Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups (210 to 280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ cup (120 ml) of the oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in 1½ cups (210 g) of the flour. Use your hands to knead the mixture for a few minutes into a smooth dough. If your mixture does not come together and feels a little loose, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, and continue kneading it with your hands. When the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky, loosely cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large round that is about ½ in (13 mm) thick. Invert a small cup on the outer perimeter of the dough, placing only half of the cup on the dough before pressing down to cut the dough and create crescent-like shapes (not rounds). Arrange the crescent-shaped pieces on a tray and continue the process, rerolling the dough scraps as needed, until you’ve used all the dough.
- Fill a medium Dutch oven with enough of the remaining 1 cup (240 ml) of oil to come about 1 in (2.5 cm) up the sides. Line a tray with paper towels. Warm the oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until a small piece of dough dropped in bubbles up and turns golden.
- Working in batches, fry the dough crescents, flipping once, for about 2 minutes per side, or until light brown all over. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noon masti to the paper towel–lined tray and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and cardamom.
- In batches, toss the cooled noon masti in the cardamom sugar until evenly coated. Serve warm or on room temperature on a platter, refreshing with cardamom sugar if needed. Noon masti will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Maman and Me by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh (PA Press, an imprint of Chronicle Books, 2023). Photography by Farrah Skeiky.