Egyptian Zainab’s Fingers, or Sawabe’s Zainab, are one of the most famous Arabic sweets and the most widespread. The recipe dates back hundreds of years, so many Arabs or Arabic food lovers know it well. There are two main versions of this sweet: Egyptian Zainab’s Fingers and Arabic Zainab’s Fingers. The Arabic version features a cheese filling, while the Egyptian version is made with flour and semiola. This recipe is for the Egyptian Zainab’s Fingers.
As you may have noticed, this dessert is in the shape of fingers! The backstory for why they’re shaped like fingers differs, with some saying they represent the fingers of the chef who made them in 1260 AD, while others claim they are the fingers of a girl named Zainab grieving over a dead soldier as she was pried away. Not a very appetizing shape, yet they are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and soaked in sugar syrup. Spooky, but delicious!
Middle Easterners eat Zainab’s Fingers on many occasions, the most important of which is Eid al-Fitr, as well as other big celebrations. Some consider them one of the best Ramadan desserts while others will eat them all year round. Try them out for yourself!
INGREDIENTS
- 828 grams sugar
- ½ liter water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- saffron (optional)
- 313 grams flour
- 250 grams semiola
- 100 grams melted ghee or oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon yeast
- ¼ liter water for kneading
INSTRUCTIONS
For the syrup:
- In a medium saucepan, put sugar in ½ liter of water. Optional: add a small amount of saffron to taste.
- Stir and when the syrup mixture begins to boil, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and reduce the temperature to medium or low until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Leave the syrup mixture to cool completely for at least 3 or 4 hours.
For the dough:
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and semolina.
- Add yeast, salt, and sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Heat the ghee over medium heat, then add it to the dry mixture.
- Mix first using a spoon, then knead the mixture with your hands. Note: It’s important the ingredients are mixed well.
- Add water and continue kneading only until the ingredients are mixed (about a minute and a half.)
- Cover the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough into pieces of about 10 grams.
- Take each finger and roll it into a hollow tube.
- Heat up some oil and fry the fingers in it directly. Do not leave Zainab’s Fingers after rolling them, so they don’t ferment and lose their texture when frying. You’ll know the dough is the right consistency when it floats on the surface of the oil.
- When they reach a golden color, take them out of the pan and put them in a plastic strainer until they rest.
- Soak Zainab’s Fingers in the syrup for 15 minutes, until all the syrup is absorbed.
Check out my recommended ingredients & tools for this recipe.
Egyptian Zainab Fingers Recipe- Sawabe' Zainab
Equipment
- Frying pan
- food strainer
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 828 grams sugar
- ½ liter water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 saffron (optional)
- 313 grams flour
- 250 grams semiola
- 100 grams melted ghee or oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar (10 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (2 grams)
- ½ teaspoon yeast (3 grams)
- ¼ liter water for kneading
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, put sugar in water. Add a small amount of saffron to taste.828 grams sugar, ½ liter water, 1 saffron (optional)
- Stir continually and add lemon juice when it boils, turn down the heat to medium or low until the sugar is dissolved.1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Leave the syrup mixture to cool completely.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and semolina. Then add the yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix.313 grams flour, 1 tablespoon sugar (10 grams), ¼ teaspoon salt (2 grams), ½ teaspoon yeast (3 grams), 250 grams semiola
- Heat the ghee over a medium heat, then add it to the ingredients.100 grams melted ghee or oil
- Mix and then knead the mixture well.
- Add water and continue kneading until all ingredients are well-mixed.¼ liter water for kneading
- Cover the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough into fingers about 10 grams each.
- Take each finger and roll it into a hollow roll using the grater or another tool to create the shape.
- Fry directly. Do not leave the dough out or they will lose their texture.
- When they reach a golden color, take them out of the pan and put them in a plastic strainer to rest.
- Soak Zainab's Fingers in the syrup for 15 minutes until all the syrup is absorbed.
Resouce : Sawabe’ Zainab (Zainab’s Fingers) Recipe “Eastern Dessert”
