Tamriyeh- Palestinian Style Beignets are a Tasty Pastry
By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer
Sometimes, the best discoveries are off the beaten path. One sweltering summer day in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, this intoxicating yeasty sugary scent wafted out of the front door of a nondescript corner shop with no sign. Inside I saw a man, with a scarf on his head, pulling out a tray of fresh fritters (beignets) waiting to be dusted with powdered sugar. There were several trays just covered with the same kind of pastry, and I couldn’t take out my money fast enough to buy some.
The clock was about to strike noon, and this fresh out of the oven pastry was going to be my first meal of the day. At first bite the yeasty dough was crispy and crunchy outside, filled with a warm pudding inside, with just the right amount of delicate sweetness from the powdered sugar. I later learned that this delicacy is called Tamriyeh, a treat the older generations enjoyed from vendors in the street, especially on Sundays. Tamriyeh is reminiscent of Louisiana style beignets, only they have a filling in the middle called eshta. Eshta is a lightly sweetened pudding made with farina or semolina. This extra filling makes these hearty fritters more satisfying than doughnuts.
After that trip, I wondered how I could recreate these fritters at home, especially that thin and delicate dough. I was excited to learn that my mother-in-law has been making tamriyeh for years, using her own shortcut of eggroll wrappers! Eggroll wrappers emulate the thin dough quite well and crisp up beautifully to a golden brown without the hassle. The basic and easy filling requires only 3 ingredients, farina, water, and powdered sugar. You can also add some flavor twists to the filling if you want to get creative. For instance, you can add cinnamon or a dash of rose water to the farina mixture. You can even substitute the eshta with almond paste for a more decadent treat. For this recipe, I just stuck to the traditional way, and the results came out pretty close to the original.
To see the easy folding technique and hear the story of my mother-in-law’s favorite memory of Palestinian Tamriyeh, click on the video below:
Tamriyeh
- 1 Package egg roll wraps
- 2 cups farina or cream of wheat
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups avocado oil (or whatever frying oil you prefer)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Combine the water, farina, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a saucepan, stir and wait until it boils. Then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until it gets very thick. You can store in the refrigerator to make it easy to spoon into the fritters. When ready, fold a heaping tablespoon of the farina mixture into each egg roll wrapper. Fold each corner in. In a fryer, heat the avocado oil, check with a drop of water to see if the oil is hot enough. If you hear the oil crackle it is ready. Fry one to two of the fritters at a time until golden brown, turning over once so both sides get browned. Then place on a paper towel and sift powdered sugar over them. Eat right away!
Blanche Shaheen is a journalist, host of the YouTube cooking show called Feast in the Middle East and a cookbook author. For more authentic and classical Middle Eastern recipes, you can now purchase her brand new cookbook: “Feast in the Middle East, A Personal Journey of Family and Cuisine” by clicking HERE:https://secure.mybookorders.com/Orderpage/2189
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