Tulumba
Tulumba is a Middle Eastern dessert often compared to churros (though instead of being rolled in sugar, it’s soaked in syrup) and is made across many cultures—especially those that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Armenians, Greeks, Egyptians, and many other ethnic groups enjoy this delicious sweet treat. In Persian cuisine, similar pastries are known as bamiyeh or zolbiya. The word tulumba means “pump” in Ottoman Turkish, deriving from the Italian word, tromba.Fried slowly until deeply golden, then dipped into cooled syrup, these pastries have the perfect crisp-outside, soft-inside texture. The key is patience—working in batches, frying gently, and letting the contrast between hot pastry and cool syrup do the magic.This dessert is deeply nostalgic for me and tied to so many family memories. My aunt used to make tulumba when we were little, and my great aunt on my mother’s side actually made them for a living. There are countless variations and family methods out there—this version is my mom’s close friend’s well-loved recipe, passed down and made the way we’ve always enjoyed it.
Ingredients
For the Tulumba Dough
- 4 cups water boiled/hot
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- pinch of of salt
- pinch of of vanilla powder
- 5 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 10 large eggs room temperature
For Frying
- Neutral oil of choice (ie vegetable or canola) enough to fill your pot for deep frying
For the Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- Pinch of citric acid or juice of ½ lemon
- Pinch of vanilla powder or a splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Syrup (Do This First)
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1 cup water and 2 cups sugar.
- Add a pinch of citric acid (or lemon juice) and a pinch of vanilla.
- Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and let the syrup cool completely. (The syrup must be cool when the tulumbas go in.)
Make the Dough
- Add 4 cups hot/boiled water to a large pot or heat-safe bowl over medium-high heat.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of vanilla, and 3 tablespoons oil.
- With the heat still on, slowly add the sifted flour, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
- Mix until a thick, smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides.
- Remove from heat and let the dough cool slightly (warm, not hot).
Add the Eggs
- Once the dough has cooled a bit, begin adding the eggs, 1–2 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Continue until all 10 eggs are fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and stretchy.
- We mixed this by hand, but a sturdy spoon or mixer also works.
Prepare the Oil
- Fill a deep pot with oil (enough for deep frying) and heat over medium-high.
- Heat for a few minutes, then turn the heat off before piping the dough.
Fry the Tulumba
- Lightly oil the inside of your tulumba tool (or piping bag with a star tip).
- Fill the tool with dough.
- With the oil heat turned off, test a small piece: dip scissors in oil, pipe a small amount of dough into the oil, and cut it off. The dough should sink to the bottom.
- Begin frying the dough by piping it into the oil and cutting each piece to your desired size, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
- Let the tulumba fry briefly, then turn the heat back on to medium.
- Fry slowly, gently turning the tulumba continuously so they cook evenly.
- Fry until deep golden brown (about 3+ minutes).
- Turn off the heat and remove the tulumba with a mesh strainer, allowing excess oil to drip off completely.
Dip in Syrup
- Immediately dip the hot tulumba into the cooled syrup.
- Let them soak for about 1-2 minutes, then remove and serve.