Romanian traditional fried dough ribbons

Doughnuts are a very popular and easy-to-make dessert. All you need is half a kilo of flour, a little oil, fresh or dried yeast, sugar, and a pinch of salt. In a bowl mix the flour with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, a sprinkle of salt and the dried yeast. Add a little warm water and knead until getting sticky dough. Add a little oil and continue to knead until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft free place until it doubles in size. Then place the dough on an oiled surface and using a rolling pin roll to a thickness of 1 cm. Cut the dough into strips and fry in oil, over low heat. Drain the oil, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Radio România, 22.04.2018, 14:15

Today we will also bring you the recipe for a fried dough dish that is very popular in Romania called “minciunele, translating into English as “little lies. This dessert consists of thin, crispy braided strips, without a filling.

The recipe is very simple. You need 4 egg yolks, 3 and a half cups of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon of sugar or 1 pack of vanilla sugar, a few drops of rum essence and a pinch of salt. You can use fewer yolks if you add 1 cup of milk, and, if you wish, 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Knead all these ingredients into a smooth, elastic dough. Gently roll out the dough into a sheet the thickness of a knife blade. Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into strips about 15 cm long and about 3 cm wide. With a sharp knife, make a lengthwise incision right in the middle, about 4 cm long. Take one end of the strip and pass it through this incision in the middle, making a kind of ribbon. Deep-fry the ribbons of dough. Serve plain, with powdered sugar. You can also dip them into your favourite homemade jams.

Enjoy!