Sufganiyot Made Easy! No Yeast!

This is my latest version of the Israeli fried doughnuts aka Sufganiyot, a favorite food for Chanukah. Our homemade version is absolutely nothing like the ones you can buy. I love the flavor of ours, and so do my children and grandchildren. For sure they are healthier, too. We make a batch every year at our Family Chanukah Party. This year the party was Friday lunch before Chanukah, since we're such a busy family, we couldn't find any other time to meet.

The Sufganiyot are dairy, made with a plain yogurt, Eshel-which has 4.5% fat. Of course you can use a lower-fat yogurt, but make sure it's pure yogurt and not adulterated with fillers to make it creamy. I've discovered some awful things about the American yogurts, which rarely have more than a symbolic 1/2 % fat. Check ingredients. You may be eating extra sugars and starches. This container has 200ml, just under a cup.

My basic recipe is derived from  one what used to be -is it still?- on packages of Israeli self-rising (white) flour. I first started preparing these Sufganiyot in the early 1970's.

Ingredients for a family-sized batch when you really don't want everyone to "pig-out." Of course they can all be doubled, tripled etc:

• bottle of vegetable (soy or canola) oil
• 1 2/3 cups of fine whole-wheat flour or 2 cups of white
• or if you have self-rising flour, then don't use the baking powder
• packet of baking powder, or recommended quantity according to the baking powder you have
• 1 Eshel 200ml, or 2/3 of a cup of plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs or 3 small/medium eggs
• a spoon of sugar and a dash of vanilla
• powdered sugar for decoration

Instructions:

• pour the oil into a small deep pot and bring to a boil
• mix the dry ingredients
• add the eggs, yogurt and vanilla
• The batter should be thicker than for pancakes/waffles.
• Test if oil is ready, by "double-spoon*" dropping a bit into the oil. If it gets all bubbly and the dough rounds and rises to the top, you can begin the cooking/deep-frying.
• Use less than a teaspoon for each, so they won't be too large, which can make it hard to cook thoroughly. 
• Don't overfill the pot.
• Remove with a slotted spoon, or a tea "filter," like the one I found in my gadget drawer.
• Place them on a plate or large bowl covered with white napkins or paper towels to absorb the oil.
• Open up one from the first batch to make sure it's fully cooked. You may have to recook it, adjust the flame etc. until you get the cooked/ready color right. It always happens to me!
• And then sprinkle powdered sugar! We give that job to the kids, since deep-frying has its dangers.

ENJOY!!!

*Watch my instructional video, double-spoon drop. It's the same technique as used for Kneidlach, Gefilte Fish etc.

Eating Well, Though Dieting

This is the first day of Chanukah, and I haven't been tempted by the sufganiyot. I can't say that I'll stay immune to them the entire holiday, especially as my daughter informed me that we'll be making some for the kids. Sufganiyot are like jelly donuts. The "classic" and less expensive ones are, but nowadays, they're filled with an unlimited variety of calorie rich forbiddens. So, even if you make them at home, as healthy as possible, you're still talking about deep-fried dough.

For almost two weeks now, I've been keeping a public diet diary, since I'm on the Start Fresh kosher diet. I may not be the strictest dieter they have, since so far, I've refused to weigh my food.

As you can see, I do eat well.


The vast, vast majority of the foods I eat are from the unlimited salads and vegetables. That's why my plates look so full. Psychologically, it makes all the difference, at least for me.


Last night we were at an event at the Menachen Begin Heritage Center, and I had no problem finding vegetables to eat. Actually, I brought dinner along with me and ate it at my husband's office. I took a cucumber, red pepper, a slice of avocado and some cottage cheese. I really didn't need to eat any more, but I couldn't resist the vegetables and as a consequence was so stuffed that I couldn't even look at the cakes and sufganiyot. I may have over-done the fat, because of oil they used in cooking, but I had no carbohydrates, even the sweet potatoes.

Over the years I usually find that the sufganiyot aren't worth eating. Except for my homemade ones, they're always disappointing, but I never feel that way about the potato latkes...