Khameer or Muqasqas — الخمير او المقصفص
June 29, 2012 by lamyaalmas
This is my aunt Ashwaq’s recipe. Love it! Note that this is not what is called “Zalabiyyah” which has eggs in the mix. These are traditional Khameers made in Aden particularly. In Sana’a “Zalabiyyah” is often called “Khameer” and vice versa, but those of us who grew up on these and have stuck to tradition in our cooking know the difference. So, don’t argue with me over this. Some have tried and even tried to tell me that Khameer and Zalabiyyah taste the same–they don’t! Try it for yourselves and let me know if they do. Once I have a good recipe for Zalabiyyah will post insha Allah.
These are typically eaten for breakfast with Adeni red/black tea also made with cardamon and cloves. The combination is delightful. You can also have these for Iftar in Ramadan, or during tea time late afternoon. They freeze well, so you can make double the amount, divide into plastic bags and freeze.
You will need:
1) 2 and 1/2 cups of white flour
2) 3/4 of sugar
3) 1 tbslp of yeast
4) 1/8 of a tsp [or 3 pinches] of baking powder [do not use too much or else the Khameer’s will come out cake-y rather than hollow on the inside]
5) 6 cardamon and 6 cloves freshly ground
6) 1 tblsp of black seed
7) 1/8 of a cup of vegetable/corn/or canola oil
8) 1/4 cup of warm water more of less. Add water gradually to make dough. It should just be enough for the dough to come together –and should neither be sticky or soft.
9) Oil for deep frying [I used Canola]
Mix all the dry ingredients–flour, sugar, ground cardamon and cloves, yeast , baking powder and black seed. Then add the oil and rub it in well. Then the warm water [tap water works to make the dough. Remember to pour the water gradually, than pour it all at once. Pour and knead, until the dough comes together. You won’t be needing much water. Then place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise. Place in a warm spot–I put mine mine out on my balcony since it’s Summer here. You can also place overnight in your kitchen. The dough will double in size. If you want to go ahead and make them, make into small balls [the size that of when you bring forefinger and thumb together] or you can divide into larger balls and then cut them out with a pizza cutter/knife/or cookie cutter.
These are deep fried. So, in a deep frying pan, heat the oil. It should be hot enough that when you place these in they should immediately come to the surface, rise, and brown. If they do that but burn [darken in color] then the oil’s too hot so lower the temperature. Insha Allah I will be getting a thermometer so I can measure the temps for you.
When the oil is ready , roll out the dough with a rolling pin. It should neither be too thin or too thick. Here’s a pic of the dough rolled out and cut with a pizza cutter:
You can fry them as is, or I like to either halve or quarter them and then fry them. Once you put them in the oil, they should immediately rise to the surface and start puffing up. Turn it , and let the other side brown. Take out, and let oil drain and then serve hot or warm.
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Posted in Breakfast and Supper, Ramadan, Snacks | 68 Comments
A Yemeniyah's Recipes 
I’m glad the recipe is finally here ma sha Allah. In sha Allah I will try it tomorrow. I know the recipe but mine come out a bit too biscuit-like for my taste, in sha Allah it’ll wor better with your measurements!
I like to prepare them less time-consuming: roll out the whole dough and then just either slice it up into small squares or use a glass as stencel for little circles….
You probably did not let the dough rise, and you rolled them out too much. Don’t roll it out too much, or else it will come out biscuit-y as you said.
My dough wouldn’t rise : ( How long does it take to rise?? I left it for 21 hours!
Zainab did you leave it in a warm area and covered? And how old is the yeast you are using ?
Those are factors that will affect it.
Lamya
I left it over night. It could either not be warm enough, or the yeast is probably not very good. Either or.
Lamya
So you left it on the balcony over night? Ok! I got some Indian yeast : -( What brand do you suggest?
I just this brand –it’s called Fleischmann. Any ACTIVE yeast will do. I asked because they do expire, and some are not very good. So that’s why i asked. Yes, i left mine out on the balcony overnight.
Here’ s a link to the brand i used:
http://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/landing.html
Lamya
That’s a good tip, thank you. I’ll try and report tomorrow in sha Allah, here it’s already midnight. Today we had the oven-baked chicken and brautha (as we call the khobz mulawah) together with some zaatar-in-yoghurt for dinner – it was heavenly, jazak Allah kheir.
Will await the results insha Allah. Your meals today sound delish Maa Sha Allah. Wa Iyakum.
Asalaam alaikum
Do we freeze them after we fry them or before? JazakAllah khair, oh and my husband LOVED the homemade creme caramel. <3
Wa Alaikum Assalaam Umm Hamood–
No, we only freeze if we want to make another day. Sorry, I should go back and clarify that point on the recipe.
Alhamdullilah that your husband loved the creme caramel. I like it better than i do those in packets.
Lamya
Salam. my khameer were a far cry from yours. at first the dough wouldn’t rise and then i added an “emergency dough” (principally the same but half the measurements). It rose but left a somewhat sour taste and only a few of them were hollow. :-( I’ll try in sha Allah again next week. but al hamdu lillah my husband still thanked me for them.
Samira–how long did you leave the dough to rise? Overnight? And is your air condition on? If so, then it won’t be warm enough for it to rise. If you can place it out in the balcony that would be better. It will rise Insha Allah.
I am also wondering if the yeast is either too strong or has expired? Things to consider.
Let me know. We’ll get it right insha Allah.
Lamya
We don’t have ac here :-). I let it rise about 10 hours from morning to evening. it was about 30 degree celsius.
However i had let the yeast outside uncovered overnight which might have effected its efficacy… and then, to speed the second rising i placed the dough in the oven at about 25 degree which might have caused the sour over-yeasted taste. so there were lots of mistakes on my part. in sha Allah it’ll work out next time!
What US brand of yeast should I use? Last time I tried khameer, the taste was great, but it was not hollow on the inside and it was hard for the dough to be fully cooked on the inside. Maybe the recipe I used had too much baking powder, as you said.
Salaam Zainab–
I just use the regular Fleischmanns Yeast here in the states–here’s a link so you know what i am talking about:
http://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/landing.html/
I am guessing it is the baking powder that made it cake-y, and probably you rolled it out too thick maybe. Also, let it REALLY rise. If you leave it in an air conditioned home [even overnight] it really does not rise enough. Since it’s summer now, i usually just cover and leave outside in the heat of my balcony. Works great.
Let me know if you have any questions. Insha Allah we’ll get it right–and you’ll be an expert in it. Ya Rab. Remember to say Bismilah before you start–that’s the magic word subhan Allah.
Lamya
Hi, i just wanted to ask how many does this make?
Making it for this up coming ramadan inshallah but going to make it tomorrow just to make sure there are no errors when it comes to the day :)
Salaam Maryan–
I divide the dough into 4 parts . So it depends on how small you make them or how big–each part I but into kind of small pieces. So each part ends up being about 10-12 pieces.
Lamya
And sorry one more thing!
How long should i leave it to rise,
Im thinking about making the dough tonight inshallah and leaving it overnight,
im also going to be making your bagya recipe inshallah, all ur recipes are just like the way my mom makes, so I’d just like to thank you for all ur hardwork its appreciated, im 17 trying to learn everything this ramadan and its not so hard with all ur amazing recipes :D
Maryan–
Leave it overnight and in a warm area– very warm place. I cover and leave it out in the warmth of the sun. The dough should double in size.
As for the bagya, do you have the gadget that makes them all the same size. It will make quite a batch, about 30-40 small bagyas. Sometimes I freeze this in bags [without adding the spices], in batches. Just remember to place in a sieve while it defrosts so that the water drains before you spice it and fry it. Or else they won’t hold their shape.
Maa Sha Allah 17 ! You’re very welcome habeebtee and insha Allah you will do an amazing job and May Allah accept your Siyam, Qiyam, Saleh Al A3maal and may you be from among those who win Jannah. Ameen. Ramadan Mubarak. And feel free to ask as many questions as you want okay.
Lamya
Salaam!
Your comment put a huge smile on my face thank you so much :D
The dough has doubled in size i’ll be making it this afternoon around 4:00pm and same for the bagya, but you know the bagya is the skin supposed to just come off or do you just leave the skin on?
Once again thank you much ur efforts are greatly appreciated, feel like sending you the pics when i made it haha :D
Usually the skin comes off when you soak it. Whatever remains is okay. And please do send me the pics–would love to see them. Send to my email address insha Allah alma0028@yahoo.com and Ramadan Mubarak. Tomorrow July 20th is the first day of Ramadan insha Allah.
So do I have to wait if my dough doubles up in size in 4 hours?
No you don’t . Ir has risen enough Insha Allah.
Salam Dr. Lamya and Ramadan Kareem. i made those yesterday for iftar and finally they turned out fine. nice taste, nice texture although not all were hollow inside because i had let the dough rise for only one hour – but it’s pretty hot here. jazak Allah kheir!
Salaam Samira–
Ramadan Mubarak to you habeebtee to you and your family. Alhamdullilah they turned out fine. I like the taste, and insha Allah with time you will perfect it every time you make it. Some things just need a lot of practice.
Wa Iyakum.
Salam Dr, just want to ask you, is that possible that I make this dough with bread maker ? Because since I had that , very lazy to do kneading manually LOL , but if this can’t , I think I have to give up with kneading by hand, because this one is my husband fav for iftar, I’ve been searching for this recipe for ages, even asking my mother in law but she always give recipe without measurement , that is why always failed hehehe, Jazakillah Dr ….Love your blog ….❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes sure you can Indah. This dough does not need much kneading. Just enough water to bring it together to a dough. You might end up over-kneading it. I just do it manually. But try it and let me know.
I love you visiting my blog and learning. Wa Iyakum Indah and keep in touch and let me know how your Khameer turned out.
Lamya
Lovely ,made them they were
eaten all before i had a look in .Can you gives us the recipe for yemeni dumplings
Alhamdullilah Sami. I think you’re the first person who said they turned out great the first time. Alhamdullilah. Do you mean by Yemeni dumplings, the ‘Uwaaf” or the ‘Mudarbash” that are fried? Let me know.
Lamya
Salam sister , this one we can put in the freezer or refrigerator for the next day? Jzk
Yes Sister you can freeze after it has risen and then use another day after defrosting it of course. I make it and then divide into bags and freeze , then a couple of hours before I fry it i take it out , let it defrost then use it.
Lamya
Hi Lamya
the dumplings i am reffering to are called lokmat al-kady.Round balls deeped in syrup after they are fried
Thabk you again for your wonderful work and time,my allah grant you your reward in the highest heavens.
Insha Allah will make them soon and post them. We also make similar ones but salty that we dip in red chilly sauce. Insha Allah will make them both and post. My husband likes them both so that should be easy Insha Allah.
Lamya
Salaam alaykum! Just wondering if you havE posted these lol I was just. Reading thru the comments a D see this I would love to make some this year!
Salam sister…just kneading the dough manually as you suggested , indeed its didnt. Take more effort :) but I have to add more water than your recipe….because if its only 1/4 cup it didnt combine , so I did add little by little…now waiting for raising, hopefully it will turn okay…InsyaAllah…
Salam Sister Indah —
The amount of water will differ with the flour– so you are doing good by adding more water to make a dough. Insha Allah it will turn out great. Let me know :)
Lamya
Unlike the honeycomb , i made khamir as well today but its failed , the dough wasnt rise, so tried to think what caused that, I think it was because of the water is too hot , this is my mistake , I am too hurry to poured the water without checking after make the water warm in the ketlee , so next time will be okay insyaAllah, because even failed my husband said taste are good just like khamir in Yemen , :) tx sister….
You can still try and see if it rises. Did you do that?
Lamya
Hi Lamya,
Can you please clarify the amount of sugar needed?
It states ‘3/4 of sugar’ in your recipe but doesn’t say if that’s 3/4 of a cup or 3/4 of a tablespoon.
Thank you very much for taking time to help us make beautiful recipes.
Jodie
Sorry, it is 3/4 of a cup of sugar.
You’re very welcome Jodie.
Lamya
As salam alaikum Dr Lamya. I found your site while searching for this very recipe. I had khameer for the term first time last week when my Yemeni neighbours sent iftar. I had no idea what they were called, but they were so delicious I had to make some myself.
I have a dried active yeast, and the instructions on the box suggest it should be activated in warm water before being used. Should I do that or just add it straight like your recipe sys.
Also do you knead the dough again after Iu has risen or just roll it straight away. And do you use dry flour to roll the balls?
So many questions…I just can’t wait to make them. I jus hope mine turn out as nice as yours look and the ones I tasted.
Jazak’Allah
Hello Anudrat–
Glad you found us, and found the recipe you needed.
1) You can follow the instructions for the yeast on the box. Just make sure you don’t add too much water to the dough.
2) I don’t knead the dough after it has risen.
3) you can use dry flour to roll the balls .
Let me know how they turn out.
Lamya
Jazak’Allah for your help.
I made them twice. The first time they did not puff up properly , but taste delicious. Second time round I managed to get the oil temperature just right and they puffed up beautifully.
Making them again now for tea time snacks.
Nudrat
Wa Iyakum Nudrat. Trial and error definitely teaches :)
Lamya
salam aleykum, love all of your recipes was just wondering if you have ever heard of a yemeni food called gubniyah, my daughter wants me to make it bt ive never heard of it before, its made with cheese hence the name but also somthing else she describes as layers of soft pastry. jazak allah khayr for all your hard work may allah reward you here and the hereafter insha allah
Wa Alaikum Assalaam Muna–
I don’t think Al Jubniyyah is a Yemeni recipe. I think it is from Al Sham [Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and those areas]. I will ask around.
Wa Iyakum and Jazaaki Allah Khayr for visiting my blog.
Lamya
salam aleykum
do i have to add baking powder or can it be done without, i have tried many times to make this and keep failing, what flour do you use. plain or self raising?
when i fry them they rise to the top and brown but they never puff up. they are sometimes very cakey but they are never hollow, have tried missing out the baking powder but they still dont puff up, what am i doing wrong?
the yeast is fast acting and is still good but the dough it self never rises as much as i like i keep it covered and in a warm place in my kitchen while im cooking.
could it be the temperature of my oil that stops them from puffing up.
Wa Alaykum Assalaam Munna–
I used organic flour that i get from Earth Fare of any other organic food store. I don’t use self rising flour. Try dividing the flour into 2 equal portions and put them in a plastic bag, and then in a bowl and cover and place in a warn place. It should rise Insha Allah.
Also, when you roll the dough before frying, don’t roll it out too much because that too will not cause it to rise. And the oil has to be hot, so cooking time is quick–few seconds to barely a minute.
Hope that helps. Let me know how it turns out. This recipe has really worked for me Maa Sha Allah for years.
Lamya
salam aleykum
I made them again, the dough rised i spread them out evenly and some of them even puffed up but the rest were the same and i think it has to do with the temperature of the oil. Is there anyway i can kep the oil at a constant steady temperature? I dont cook to many at once either. It either gets too hot so i lower the flame but then it gets too low. i know the problem is no longer the dough because some of them puffed up when the temp was just right.
Asalam Alaikum wa rahmetAllah, Dear Sister. I lived in Yemen for 7 years (non-Yemeni and non-Arab) and struggled at Yemeni cooking. I picked up quite a few recipes along the way… fahsa, helba, bean dishes, several ways to make eggs, rices, juices, pasta, fish, shrimp, however, I was missing alot of recipes like how to make malouj, malouha (for shafoot I think) and many other things that are featured on your website. I just found this website today and tried the zurbiyan recipe (with chicken) just to see how close I was and it turned out great! Thank you so much for putting the time to put together these recipes. As you can see many of us were unable to find recipes like yours online! Masha Allah please keep it up :)
Wa Alaikum Assalaam Sister ,
Jazaki Allah khayr for your kind words. I am so glad you are finding the recipes you need. Alhamdullilah.
Lamya
Salam, I see you said to put dough in freezer for another day of using. Im waiting on the dough to rise now, its almost done and would like to fry tomorrow morning. Is fridge storage best in this case?
Salaam Jasmine,
If you are waiting for it to rise then do not place in refrigerator or freezer. After it has risen, you can place in the refrigerator to use the following day–or in the freezer if you want to use after a few days or weeks, or even months. Hope that makes sense.
Lamya
Jazak Allah khayr..thank you :)
Salam, I see you said to put dough in freezer for another day of using. Im waiting on the dough to rise now, its almost done and would like to fry tomorrow morning. Is fridge storage best in this case
I just responded to this question. Did you get my response.
Lamya
Jazak Allah..thank you :)
Salam aleykom Dr Lamya
Thank you for this recipe. But how is it that this recipe doesn’t have milk or milk powder in it? I was of the assumption that milk was necessary and used milk to make the dough last week. Until recently I only had eaten Khameer, never making it. I followed 2 recipes to make it last week, I had not seen this recipe then. Both recipes by Yemeni bloggers had milk powder in it. (http://www.shebayemenifood.com/content/bakhmri-or-khameer, http://www.fauziaskitchenfun.com/coconut-mandazimahamri-3/ )
So is milk an optional ingredient in khameer preparation?
And I had no idea about the Zalabiyah until reading it here. Cos I tweaked the recipes by subsituting an egg to skip adding oil, I had no idea it made it a different recipe altogether.. Does adding eggs cause that much of a difference in the end result?
On another note, my dad says Khameer is best eaten with ‘Atar, do you have a recipe for making ‘Atar? I make it my way but I’d like to know the authentic recipe, please.
Regards
Mrs MAS
Wa Alaikum Assalam Mrs MAS
This is how we make in Aden–no milk powder, milk or eggs. Maybe because these ingredients are expensive, and usually not in hand in an Adeni household. Plus they DO give it a different taste and texture. I like this recipe–and I’ve tried many before.
Yes, i love it with attar too. I do have the recipe for attar on my blog. Just type in “Attar” into the search box. If you can’t find it, here’s the link: https://yemeniyah.com/2012/07/10/attar-عتر/
Lamya
Slms sister, Jazakallah this recipe was spot on although I did need to add more then a 1/4 cup of water. My husband is from yemen and the kameer reminded him of his times in Aden, eating it for breakfast with tea. Looking forwards to trying more of your recipes InshaAllah. Jazakallah.
Wa Iyaki. Glad it worked out. Yes, with some flours more water is needed. Not all flours are the same ;)
Lamya
Salam Lamya, I noticed a lot of people are having a problem with the dough not rising and I had the same problem no matter what I did :( what helped was to put the yeast in the water for about 15minutes to activate it (until it gets kind of dissolved and a little frothy on top of the water) and then add it to the dry ingredients, rather than to put the yeast directly with the dry ingredients (I usually don’t use the whole amount of water the recipe calls for so that I can add it all without risking the dough being too wet, that way I make sure I have all my yeast – I use a little more water than the recipe too, the dough is a bit softer but not too wet).
Wa Alaikum Assalaam Habeebtee Emma,
Yes it does seem so. I should make a note of what you did, as an option. I don’t know why it works for me :) : I wish I knew. Thanks for the input Emma. I’ll add the recommendation to the recipe.
Lamya
Asalam Alaykum,
I think the issue might be that people are using a different type of yeast. There are two major types sold in most stores – one is an active dry yeast and one is just an instant yeast. The brand you use (Fleischmann’s) is known for having an instant yeast while RedStar brand is known for having an active dry yeast. If you use an instant yeast such as Fleischmann’s you can throw it in with the rest of your dry ingredients and it will work fine making the dough rise. However, if you are using the other kind (active dry yeast) which many people use then you MUST “activate” it by dissolving it in water like the directions say before using it with your other ingredients. This method is called proofing the yeast and if you don’t see bubbles rise during the proofing process then the yeast is no good for using.
~Nada
Wa Alaykum Assalaam ,
Thanks for the tip.
Lamya
I just made these last night following your recipe. I had to add more water than suggested to get it to form into a dough. When I started I put the yeast in a cup of water and some sugar to activate it. Once the bubbles foamed up I mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients. I checked on it this morning and it is rising! I’m going to check it again after I go home from work. I’m hoping to try them for suhoor tonight and store the rest in the freezer. Insha’allah I roll and fry them right so they can puff up and we can have them with shurbah. Thank you!!
Yes depending on the flour you might need more water . I just use enough to turn it into a dough. As for frying when I first started I didn’t know what I was doing wrong . You have to roll them just right for them to puff up . My mother sent me another recipe for this and I plan of making it and posting it soon In Sha Allah . The one she sent me has eggs and yogurt in it . I tried it out a while back and it was just as lovely .
You are very welcome and do let me know how this turns out In Sha Allah . And have a blessed day at work .
Lamya