Bite-sized balls of leavened dough deep-fried until crisp and golden, then bathed in sweet syrup. A classic Turkish street and festival sweet, traditionally also shared in memory of the dead.
A deep-fried dough sweet documented since the 13th century as luqmat al-qādi; the spherical Turkish form is known as saray lokması.
Crackly and crisp on the outside, the inside is airy and just slightly chewy, soaked through with cool syrup. Each warm, glossy ball is sticky-sweet and disappears in one bite.
Yeast fermentation fills the loose dough with gas bubbles, so the balls puff and stay light when fried. Dropping cool, drained fritters into syrup (or hot fritters into cool syrup) maximises absorption while keeping the shell from going soggy too fast.
Variations
İzmir ring-shaped lokma; chocolate-drizzled; with honey instead of syrup; stuffed or cheese-paired regional styles.
On the Palate
Where Lokma sits in the Turkish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 18 min
Mix flour, water, yeast, a little sugar and salt into a loose, sticky batter-dough.
- 260 min
Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled and bubbly.
Watch outLet the dough go until it's doubled and the surface is riddled with bubbles — under-proofed and the lokma fry dense instead of light and airy.
- 38 min
Boil sugar and water into a syrup, add a squeeze of lemon and cool it.
- 45 min
Heat oil for deep frying to a medium-high temperature.
- 56 min
Drop small balls of dough into the oil using wet hands or two spoons.
- 68 min
Fry, turning, until puffed, golden and crisp all over.
Watch outFry over medium heat, turning, until deep golden and hollow-light — too hot and they brown outside while the center stays raw dough.
- 73 min
Drain the lokma briefly, then toss them in the cool syrup.
Watch outToss the hot, drained fritters into cool syrup — the temperature gap pulls syrup in; dunk them in hot syrup and the shell just goes soggy.
- 82 min
Lift out and serve warm, dusted with cinnamon or crushed nuts.
