Tulumba (Balah El Sham)

Tulumba, also known as Balah El Sham is a delicious fried choux pastry dough with an utterly divine simple syrup. Tulumba is the perfect accompaniment to your afternoon tea or during Ramadan. You'll relish every bite of the crunchy outside and the soft and creamy inside.

Making tulumba may seem like a work of art and taste like one too, but this authentic Turkish dessert comes together with items you can easily find in your pantry. Ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, vinegar and a few other ingredients. Tulumba is then dunked in a delicious simple syrup and topped with your favorite crushed nuts, a drizzle of chocolate or even whipped cream.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You'll Love It
• 📝 Ingredients
• 🥄 Instructions
• 💡 Expert Tips
• ⌛ Make Ahead
• 🧺 Storage
• 📣 More Recipes From the Blog
• Turkish Tulumba Recipe (Fried Churros)

❤️ Why You'll Love It

• Easy homemade dough.
• A step by step tutorial for a no fail recipe.
• A delicious sweet treat that is like no other.

You're going to love to experience the unforgettable combination of sweet pastry and a homemade simple syrup of this recipe. Perfect for parties or holiday buffets!

📝 Ingredients

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Simple syrup: An easy to make syrup with sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla and honey. See the full recipe in the recipe card below.
• Oil: Used for making the dough and for frying the tulumba.
• White vinegar
• Sugar
• Flour
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

🥄 Instructions

• In a medium saucepan add water, oil and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Add sifted flour mixture all at once.
• Mix well until the dough comes together ad become smooth.
• Remove dough from the heat and place on a plate to cool for 5-10 minutes.

• Transfer dough into a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Add eggs one by one.
• Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with each egg addition.
• Add the vanilla extract and mix.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip, with the dough.

• Pour about 1 inch of oil in a large frying pan, do not turn the heat on yet. Pipe the dough wither directly over the oil or across 3 of your fingers, be sure to oil your hand first.
• Cut with scissors or pinch with your fingers.
• When the pan is filled, not crammed, turn on to medium and wait for the tulumba to float before turning them.
• Fry until they get deep golden.

• Using a slotted spoon, take the fritters out and place into a bowl of cooled syrup. Toss to coat and leave in the syrup for about a minute.
• Take them out and place in a colander. Let them drip excess syrup.

💡 Expert Tips

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• You can use unsalted butter instead of oil.
• Let the dough cool down to about 120°F before adding eggs. If you add the eggs to a hot dough you will have scrambled eggs in your batter.
• Add eggs one by one allowing time between each addition for the eggs to be mixed well, about 2-3 minutes.
• Do not forget to scrape the mixer bowl in between additions.
• You can use less eggs in this recipe, in fact you can go down to 1 egg. But keep in mind that using less eggs will make them thinner than usual and they will not puff.
• I recommend using the Ateco 845 or Ateco 846 tips for this recipe as they will give the right size.
• Never fry tulumba in a hot oil, oil needs to be room temperature or warm to the point where you can stick your finger in it without getting hurt. This allows the tulumba to take its time, puff and keep its shape.
• Do not overcrowd the pan as they get bigger.

⌛ Make Ahead

Tuluma stays really well in the freezer. Pipe them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then freeze until they are hard. Place in a freezer bag or container for up to two months.

🧺 Storage

• It is always better to consume tulumba the same day you make them as they tend to get softer over time. If you don't think you'll be able to finish off all 50 of them, you can scale back on this recipe or what I like to do is piping them into a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze.
• If you end up with leftovers then I prefer storing them on a plate, covered with a sieve or anything that allows air in. I usually just keep them on the counter top unless you stuffed them with clotted cream, milk pudding or whipped cream then they must be refrigerated.

📣 More Recipes From the Blog

• Qatayef are the Arab stuffed pancakes, they are one of the most iconic recipes during the holy month of Ramadan.
• Kunafa is another Arab dessert that is essential and sold in every pastry shop in the Middle East.
• From traditional sweets to modern treats, these Egyptian desserts recipes are sure to please ever.
• Indulge in the rich, sweet flavors of the Middle East with these buttery and flaky baklava rolls. Perfect for special occasions or as a decadent treat any time.
• Basbousa is a traditional Egyptian dessert made from semolina flour, coconut, yogurt and soaked in simple syrup. It’s delicious and easy to make!

I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
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First published Jun 23, 2015 . Last updated April 1, 2022 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.