African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Crispy Fried Tunisian Lentil Doughnuts

Savory Tunisian lentil donuts are fried and dipped into harissa hot pepper paste.

Lentil doughnuts are popular in many African countries and are prepared in various forms as a savory or sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, and street food stalls.

Tunisian lentil doughnuts


Lets make fried Tunisian Lentil Doughnuts in 30 minutes serving five people. Serve as a snack with hummus or harissa hot pepper paste, the ingredients to our savory doughnuts are below and the ingredients are found in your local grocery store.


Fried Tunisian Lentil Doughnuts

Ingredients

2 cans 15.5 ounces of lentil beans, drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 hot peppers of your choice, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Oil to shallow pan fry
 

Directions for frying and baking doughnuts.

Heat the oil for frying. Place the flour, lentils, chili, spices, salt, ground spices into a blender, and grind to a thick paste like dough. Roll dough into even sized pieces. Fry until a golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel and serve with hummus or harissa hot sauce.

Baking doughnuts.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. Spoon the batter into the lightly greased doughnut pans, filling the wells to about 1/4" shy of the rim. Bake the doughnuts for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 to 7 minutes before turning them out of the pans onto a cooling rack.

Harissa hot pepper paste recipe.


Harissa red hot pepper paste recipe


Let's make Harissa hot five minute seasoning with step-by-step directions.

Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 hot peppers of your choice, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
2-tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
1-tablespoon coriander seeds
½-cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
A small handful of coriander leaves, chopped
1-tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant around 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the cooled seeds with the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Did you know?
Dawnat Aleudas Almisrii are Tunisian lentil doughnuts in the Arabic language. Savory doughnuts, also known as savory donuts, are a type of doughnut that is made with savory ingredients instead of sweet ones. 

While traditional doughnuts are typically sweet and often glazed or covered in sugar, savory doughnuts are flavored with ingredients like cheese, herbs, spices, and meats. 

Savory doughnuts can be made in a variety of styles and flavors, and they are often served as a unique appetizer or snack. Some popular types of savory doughnuts include:

Cheese and herb doughnuts
Bacon and cheddar doughnuts
Spinach and feta doughnuts
Jalapeno and cheddar doughnuts
Curry and chickpea doughnuts

Savory doughnuts are often baked or fried, and they can be served on their own or with dipping sauces like harissa. 
 
They are a fun and creative twist on traditional doughnuts and can be enjoyed as a savory snack or as part of a larger meal.

Easy rice recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring white rice recipe again.

  1. Mozambique Coconut Beans Recipe
  2. Black-Eyed Pea Casserole with Rice and Herbs
  3. Rice and Beans Ghana Style
  4. Fried Banana Rice Dumplings
  5. Fried Rice Cakes Recipe

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