Persian Bamieh
This classic Persian sweet is made from a light, airy choux pastry that is deep-fried until golden and crisp, and then soaked in saffron simple syrup.
Servings: 8
Calories: 160kcal
Ingredients
Bamieh dough
- ½ cup water 120ml
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter 28g
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 65g
- 1 egg
- vegetable oil or canola, for frying
Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- 1-2 tbsp rose water optional
- Pinch saffron ground using a mortar and pestle
Instructions
Saffron Simple Syrup
- Mix the sugar, water, and optional rosewater together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. Let it come to a light simmer, but not a rolling boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken.
- Then, remove the syrup from the heat. Add in your ground saffron and let it steep until ready to use.
Choux Pastry Dough
- Add water, butter, and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture just barely comes to a boil.
- Turn heat to medium-low and add all the flour in one go. Mix well with a silicone or wooden spoon and quickly to absorb all the liquid and bring the mixture all together for about 3-5 minutes**.
- Let it cool for 3-5 minutes, but not completely. Then add the egg, mixing well with an electric hand or stand mixer. The dough should be extremely smooth.
Fry & soak
- Heat 1 ½ inches of oil in a large pot or deep skillet. The oil for this recipe should stay between 355 and 275.
- Pipe using a 1/2-inch star-tip*** and cut into 1-inch lengths using oiled scissors straight into the oil. Fry until rich dark golden brown all over, 3-5 minutes.
- Soak the bamieh in the syrup for about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
** The dough will clump together and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. It is ready when the wooden spoon can stand upright when you stick it in the dough.
*** I use Ateco #826.
If they soften too much after a few hours, that means they weren't fried long enough.
I describe different brands of Persian pantry staples I like to buy that you might find helpful when shopping for some of these ingredients.
Nutrition facts were calculated assuming all the simple syrup is absorbed into the bamieh. In reality, it does not all get absorbed.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.5mg
