Tulumba / Tumumbe recipe

Pin It

From as long as I can remember my grandma used to make these for me. After we moved to England I used to crave them so much. So everytime I would go back to visit my grandparents my only request would be for my grandma to make tulumbe for me. They are so good. Crispy, oozy, sticky, sweet and so moorish! My aunty recently sent me the recipe along with the contraption you need to make them, Its like a metal piping tube which I am sure you can get quite easily. Since I received it I have been desperate to get making. Knowing how good they are I knew I could only make them if I had a home for the majority of them to go, I can't trust myself with a box full of these! So when the opportunity arose to cook for the charity event I jumped at it. My mum has been warning me all week about these being difficult to make and I was a little worried but I have to say, they took some time to make but all in all, it went really well and I can't wait to make them again! So, in memory of my Baka (grandma) Josefa, here is her recipe.

You will need-

• 200ml water
• 200ml milk
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 250g tip 500 flour
• 5 eggs

• 800g sugar
• 1/2 liter water

• 1/2 liter sunflower oil (for frying)

To start, put the water, milk and oil in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil then add the flour and mix till you have a lovely smooth dough. Remove from the heat and then 1 by 1 mix the eggs into the mixture. Make sure each egg is fully mixed in before you crack the next one it. This is pretty labour intensive on the arms so ask your husband/boyfriend/friend to help if you can. Mine was quite conveniently out for the day so I gave my bingo wings a good work out. When all your eggs and mixed in give the dough one more good stir. You should have a lovely smooth dough. Next transfer the mixture to a bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. I left mine in for around 2/3 hours.

Around 30 minutes before your dough is ready combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes till you have a light brown runny syrup. When ready, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled, place in a big plastic box and pop to one side. 

Now you are ready to start making the tulumbe. Pour the oil in a saucepan on a medium high heat. You can test for readiness but dropping a little bit of the dough into the oil. It should bubble and turn brown in a minute or so. Start filling your piping tube, you want one of the star shaped holes fitted on it.

Carefully squeeze 2 inch or so 'sausages' of the dough into the oil and cut the end with a knife. I can't stress how careful you need to be here, you don't want the oil splashing on you. They pop up and float after 30 seconds or so. Use a slotted spoon to turn them over half way through cooking. When they are lovely and brown remove with your slotted spoon and place on a kitchen paper or towel to drain the oil off and then pop into the syrup. Push them around the syrup so they get covered nicely then continue till you have use all your dough up. They should be lovely and light and crispy. They are best if you leave them at least overnight so make the day before if not more. They keep for around a week if kept somewhere cool and in an airtight box.

Enjoy.x