Easy Nepali Doughnuts सजिलो डोनट

Heat the Milk

In a small pot, combine the milk with crushed cardamom and bring it to a gentle boil (2-4 minutes)

Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and strain the cardamom as you pour the milk into a mixing bowl.

Allow it to rest for about 17 minutes to cool to an appropriate temperature for activating the yeast (between 105°F and 115°F or 41°C and 46°C). It would be ideal if you had a food temperature probe. Otherwise let the milk cool down for 17 minutes. Ensuring the right temperature is crucial; too hot and it kills the yeast, too cold and the dough becomes sticky.

Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk with the yeast and sugar. Cover loosely and let it sit for 4–8 minutes until the surface becomes foamy, indicating that the yeast is active. If there’s no foam, the milk might have been too hot.

Then, add the eggs, ghee, salt, and half of the flour to the mixture. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix the ingredients together.

Gradually incorporate the remaining flour, mixing until the dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If necessary, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, to achieve a slightly sticky consistency.

Knead the Dough

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5-7 minutes.

If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle small amounts of flour onto the dough or surface as needed. Be cautious not to add too much flour to avoid a dry dough. The dough should feel soft and pliable after kneading. Gently poke the dough with a finger; if it springs back slowly, it’s ready to rise.

Allow the Dough to Rise

Grease a large bowl with a light coating of oil or nonstick spray.

Place the dough in the bowl, ensuring it’s coated on all sides with oil.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or cling iflm and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1.5–2 hours until it has doubled in size.

Shape the Doughnuts

Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release excess air.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness using a rolling pin.

Cut out doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter, re-rolling the scraps to make more doughnuts. If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, you can use anything that has 2 different sized round shape- one large and one small. For example I have used a bowl for the large round shape then used a water bottle lid for the small round shape.

Arrange the doughnuts and doughnut holes on parchment-lined or silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Cover them loosely with tea towel and let them rest for 15-30 minutes while you prepare the oil. ** Please note the doughnuts you made from scraps that you put together and re-rolled will take slightly longer to rise (30-40 minutes) but they will eventually rise. Make sure they rise before frying otherwise your doughnut will not be soft and fluffy.

Heat the Oil

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil to 375°F (191°C) using an oil thermometer to monitor the temperature. If you don't have a thermometer then use a small piece of dough scrap piece and place in oil. If it sizzles and floats then it is ready. If it burns quickly and the oil is smoking then it is too hot.

Ensure there’s enough oil for the doughnuts to float freely without touching the bottom.

Fry the Doughnuts

Carefully place 2–3 doughnuts into the hot oil at a time, frying each side for about 1 minute until golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

If you have a food thermometer try to maintain the oil temperature at 375°F (191°C) by adjusting the heat as necessary. If you don't then carefully keep an eye on the doughnut to make sure they aren't cooking too fast and burning.

Repeat this process with the remaining doughnuts. For doughnut holes, fry for about 30 seconds on each side.

Enjoy Your Doughnuts

Enjoy these delightful Nepali Doughnuts fresh, ideally on the same day, with a cup of masala tea or Earl Grey.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two days.