Khanfaroosh
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
خنفروش · khanfaroosh
Small golden fritters of a sweet egg batter perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rose water, fried until crisp at the edges and fluffy inside. A traditional Qatari sweet served with coffee and at celebrations.
Khanfaroosh is a Qatari sweet, ready in about 50 minutes and made with egg and saffron. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 291
Method
Step 1
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the eggs (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) until pale and thick. Whisk in the saffron (opens in a new tab) rose water (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and milk (opens in a new tab).
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 2
Fold in the flour, rice flour (opens in a new tab) and baking powder (opens in a new tab) to a thick, smooth batter that drops from a spoon. Rest for 15 minutes.
- 3 min
Step 3
Heat the oil to 170 °C. Drop in tablespoons of batter, a few at a time, and fry, turning, until puffed and deep golden. Drain on paper.
Food safety: Never leave hot oil unattended; keep a lid nearby and keep children away.
About this dish
- Origin
- Qatar · Commonly attributedConsidered a traditional Qatari sweet; also made in the UAE and Bahrain.Also popular in United Arab Emirates, BahrainMore food from Qatar
- Dish
- Snack · Dessert · Breakfast · Sweets & confectionery · Desserts
- Cooking method
- Deep-fried
- Taste
- sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · DASH-style - Good for
- Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Egg · Saffron · Sugar · Rose water · Cardamom · All-purpose flour
- Techniques
- Deep-frying
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom milk
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
291 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 94 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 8%
- Carbohydrate 56%
- Fat 35%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 291 kcal | 310 kcal |
| Protein | 6.2 g | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 41.1 g | 43.7 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 40.2 g | 42.8 g |
| Sugars | 17.3 g | 18.4 g |
| Added sugars | 16.7 g | 17.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.9 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 11.4 g | 12.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.7 g | 1.8 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 94 mg | 100 mg |
| Sodium | 119 mg | 127 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.3 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 82 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 1.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 13 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 45 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 71 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Rose water: Water (FDC 174158); rose water is a distillate with negligible nutrients.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Some cooks fry khanfaroosh in a small amount of oil in a shallow pan, which gives flatter, lacier fritters.
Common mistakes
- Oil that is too hot browns the fritters before the centres cook; keep it at 170 °C.
Serve with
- Serve warm with Arabic coffee or karak chai.
Storage
- Best on the day; keep in an airtight tin for 1 day.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Egg3 piece · 150 g
- All-purpose flour120 g
- Rice flour60 g
- Milk60 ml · 62 g
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 15 min
Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.
Rest · about 15 min
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Bake · about 20 min
Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.
- Start to finish: about 50 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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