Roya Shariat’s Iranian Family Recipe For Noon Masti (Sweet Yogurt Fritters)
Makes 36 fritters
Roya Shariat, author of cookbook Maman And Me, shares her family’s recipe for the traditional Iranian dish, noon masti.
While writing this cookbook, Maman and I negotiated (sometimes politely, sometimes not) which recipes were essential to include. My mom recalled this recipe late in the process and made it on the spot from a 30-year-old handwritten recipe. I was immediately convinced, and we haven’t found any other version of this recipe out there.
This is the Sadeh family recipe for noon masti: fluffy, fried dough coated in confectioners’ sugar. The addition of yogurt tenderises the gluten in the dough, making a soft and light treat that goes perfectly with chai.
2 large eggs
1½ cups (360ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (240g) Greek yoghurt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1½ to 2 cups (210 to 280g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp ground cardamom
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ½ cup (120ml) of the oil, yoghurt, granulated sugar and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in 1½ cups (210g) of the flour. Use your hands to knead the mixture for a few minutes into a smooth dough. If your mixture does not come together and feels a little loose, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time, and continue kneading it with your hands. When the dough is smooth, soft and not sticky, loosely cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large round that is about ½ in (13mm) thick. Invert a small cup on the outer perimeter of the dough, placing only half of the cup on the dough before pressing down to cut the dough and create crescent-like shapes (not rounds). Arrange the crescent-shaped pieces on a tray and continue the process, re-rolling the dough scraps as needed, until you’ve used all the dough.
- Fill a medium Dutch oven with enough of the remaining 1 cup (240ml) of oil to come about 1in (2.5cm) up the sides. Line a tray with paper towels. Warm the oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until a small piece of dough dropped in bubbles up and turns golden.
- Working in batches, fry the dough crescents, flipping once, for about 2 minutes per side, or until light brown all over. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noon masti to the paper towel-lined tray and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and cardamom.
- In batches, toss the cooled noon masti in the cardamom sugar until evenly coated. Serve warm or at room temperature on a platter, refreshing with cardamom sugar if needed. Noon masti will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
From Maman & Me by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh. Copyright © 2023 by Roya Shariat. Reprinted by permission of PA Press, an imprint of Chronicle Books
Roya Shariat is a Brooklyn-based writer and social impact leader, and the author of Maman And Me and creator of the Instagram account @mamanandme
