When we think about Chanukah dishes, the Askenazi potato latke comes to mind as do jelly donuts and chocolate gelt. But what do Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews eat on Chanukah? For many Jews, especially those from North African countries fried breads and deserts are prepared. These are called Sfenj or Sfing. Below you will find a recipe for Sfeng, with toppings both savory and sweet. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
In a bowl, dissolve the yeast with a little warm water and let sit for 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the salt.
Add the water and yeast mixture, and stir with your hand or a heavy wooden spoon until smooth. The dough should be too sticky to knead or shape, almost like a thick batter. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave the dough to rise for three to four hours, until double or triple in bulk.
To Fry:
In a wide, deep pot, heat an inch or more of vegetable oil over medium heat until hot.
Set out a bowl of water. Dip your hands in the water, then pull off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Use your fingers to make a hole in the ball of dough, stretch the hole wide to make a ring, and place the dough in the hot oil.
Repeat with additional portions of dough, until you've added as many sfenj as will fit comfortably in your pot. Wet your hands as necessary to keep the dough from sticking as you work with it. Fry the sfenj until golden brown, turning once or twice. Remove the cooked sfenj and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the shaping and frying until you've used up all the dough.
Serve the sfenj hot or warm. Sfenj will not stay fresh very long at room temperature. It's best to freeze leftover sfenj and then reheat in the oven when needed.
Toppings:
If desired, garnish the hot sfenj with granulated sugar, honey or powdered sugar.
Alternatively, the sfenj can be topped with a sunny-side up egg. Libyan Jews have been known to eat Sfeng B'Dachia on Chanukah.
(recipe adapted with help from http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/pancakes/r/sfenj_recipe.htm )
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- vegetable oil, for frying
- sugar, for garnish (optional)
In a bowl, dissolve the yeast with a little warm water and let sit for 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the salt.
Add the water and yeast mixture, and stir with your hand or a heavy wooden spoon until smooth. The dough should be too sticky to knead or shape, almost like a thick batter. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave the dough to rise for three to four hours, until double or triple in bulk.
To Fry:
In a wide, deep pot, heat an inch or more of vegetable oil over medium heat until hot.
Set out a bowl of water. Dip your hands in the water, then pull off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Use your fingers to make a hole in the ball of dough, stretch the hole wide to make a ring, and place the dough in the hot oil.
Repeat with additional portions of dough, until you've added as many sfenj as will fit comfortably in your pot. Wet your hands as necessary to keep the dough from sticking as you work with it. Fry the sfenj until golden brown, turning once or twice. Remove the cooked sfenj and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the shaping and frying until you've used up all the dough.
Serve the sfenj hot or warm. Sfenj will not stay fresh very long at room temperature. It's best to freeze leftover sfenj and then reheat in the oven when needed.
Toppings:
If desired, garnish the hot sfenj with granulated sugar, honey or powdered sugar.
Alternatively, the sfenj can be topped with a sunny-side up egg. Libyan Jews have been known to eat Sfeng B'Dachia on Chanukah.
(recipe adapted with help from http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/pancakes/r/sfenj_recipe.htm )