Vegan, gluten-free sufganiyot (jelly donuts)
I don't normally (i.e. never) post food recipes, but I'm really proud of this one. As someone who has a lot of dietary restrictions, including some niche ones, I sometimes struggle to get into the holiday spirit. The foods I grew up eating now cause me a lot of physical pain and I feel that separation acutely this time of year. I imagine I'm not the only one.
One food I really miss is the sufganiyot, a.k.a. jelly donuts, that are traditionally eaten during Chanukkah.
So for all of you gluten free and/or vegans people out there, here is a recipe for you! They're not lookers, but they taste great.
4 tbs aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
3 cups of gluten free flour (I used Bob Red Mill's All Purpose Baking Flour)
1/2 cup of gluten free flour if needed
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp garam masala (optional)
~1 cup powdered sugar for dusting donuts
~1/2 cup of strawberry jam
Neutral oil for frying. I used canola. The amount will vary depending on the size of your cooking containers, just make sure you have enough oil so the sufganiyot can float off the bottom of the pan.
Mix all of the wet ingredients except vanilla extract, if using (I've always forgotten and put mine in before combining wet and dry mixes, so I don't know what it would do if added at the same time).
Leave standing for 10 minutes or until foaming.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together EXCEPT 1/2 a cup of flour (sifted if possible, if not mix together with a whisk to get rid of clumps).
Once the yeast mixture has foamed, mix in the vanilla extract and then slowly combine with the dry ingredients. It should form a thick batter.
If the batter is too thin, add in flour as needed.
Cover the mixture with a damp, warm towel. Leave to rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
In past recipes, I've read to heat the oil up until it is 325 degrees. I don't own a thermometer, so I just heat it up on medium/high heat until a small drop of dough can fry in around 30 seconds.
The dough it going to be very sticky and hard to form. Using two spoons, scoop dollops of dough into the oil. Fry for a few minutes on each side, until the dough turns in to a light brown on one side. Then flip and fry the other side until that is also a light brown.
Once the dough is done, remove from the fryer and place into a bowl with some powdered sugar on the bottom. Using a spoon, coat the entire donut in powdered sugar. Squeeze in the jam while he it is still hot.
Best if served hot, or within a few hours of being made.
