Zulbia and okra

Ingredients:

Zulbia

• 0.5 cup cornstarch
• 0.5 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp. premium flour
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• Vegetable or canola oil, for deep-frying
• Special equipment: pastry bag with a star tip; plastic sauce bottle

Saffron syrup

• 1/4 tsp ground saffron (store-bought or crushed in a mortar and pestle)
• 2 ice cubes
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons rose water

Bamiye

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
• 0.5 cups premium flour
• 1 large egg
• Vegetable or canola oil, for deep-frying

Preparation:

1. Zulbia:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch and yogurt with a spoon. Add the flour and rose water and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Saffron syrup:
   
   Meanwhile, sprinkle saffron over ice cubes and set aside to melt. This will be your saffron blossom.
3. Combine sugar, lemon juice, and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the syrup begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. If you see sugar grains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in water and brush off the sugar..
   
   
   The consistency of the syrup is very important in this recipe. If you think your syrup is thicker than it should be, add a little water and reheat until it reaches the consistency of warm honey.
4. Add rose water and 1 tbsp of bloomed saffron to the syrup (set aside the remaining saffron for another use, store in the refrigerator).
   
   Simmer until the syrup is the consistency of warm honey (thicker than maple syrup), another 5 minutes. To test the syrup's consistency, drop a small amount onto a small plate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Tilt the plate, and if the syrup doesn't flow easily, it's ready.Cover with a lid to keep warm and set aside.
5. Bamiye:
   
   Combine the butter, 1.5 cups of saffron syrup, and 0.5 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the flour all at once and begin mixing with a silicone spatula. Reduce the heat to low. Continue mixing, folding the dough into the saucepan over low heat, until smooth, 6-7 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and let cool to almost room temperature, about 10 minutes.
7. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork. Add the egg to the batter and begin mixing with a hand mixer until the egg is completely incorporated. The batter will be very sticky. Transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (You can insert a large tip into a pastry bag, then it will be easier to pipe the dough and you will get larger okra.).
8. Pour 0.5-1 cm of vegetable oil into a large frying pan. Grease both blades of kitchen scissors with oil. Hold a pastry bag with the dough over the room-temperature oil in the pan, pipe the dough into the oil, and cut off every 2.5 cm with scissors. Keep in mind that the dough will rise when frying, so do not press out too much.Fry in several batches if necessary.
   
   Place the pan over medium heat and wait until the oil begins to bubble around the dough.
9. Meanwhile, place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Check the consistency of the saffron syrup and gently reheat if necessary.
10. After about 8 minutes, the okra pieces will begin to puff up and float in the oil. Turn them over with a slotted spoon and fry until golden brown on all sides, another 5-8 minutes. Immediately transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the saffron syrup, turning them over to coat. Transfer the okra to a wire rack to drain any excess syrup.
11. Zulbia:
    
    Uncover the bowl with the dough and add baking soda and 1 tablespoon of room temperature water. Mix thoroughly for 2-3 minutes. The dough will bubble slightly. Let the dough sit for another 20 minutes until smooth. Transfer to a sauce bottle.
12. Pour 1 cm of oil into a small frying pan and heat over medium heat until shimmering. To test the oil, drop a small amount of batter into it; it should immediately puff up and float to the surface. Reduce the heat to prevent the oil from overheating.
13. Press the dough into the oil in a circular pattern to create a flower-shaped pattern 8-10 cm wide (it doesn't have to be perfect). Fry until golden brown on the bottom, 5-10 seconds, then flip with a chopstick or slotted spoon and fry until golden brown on the other side, another 10 seconds.
14. Place the zulbia in the warm saffron syrup and immerse for a few seconds, then transfer to a wire rack to drain off any excess syrup. Repeat with the remaining dough.
15. Serve okra and zulbia together at room temperature.