Turkish confection · Slow stirred
Lokum Recipe (Turkish Delight with Rosewater)
Syrup to soft ball. Cook the starch long. Set overnight.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenLokum is the soft, chewy Turkish delight scented with rosewater and dusted in sugar. Homemade versions are runny or rubbery. The fix is cooking the syrup to the soft ball stage, then slowly cooking it with the cornflour mixture for about an hour until thick and golden, and letting it set overnight.
The 3 laws of lokum
Why this recipe works
Guessing
Correct sugar stage.
20 minutes
Gives the chew.
Cut early
Clean cubes.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Lokum
Dusting
The NineFoods lokum gauge
Is it cooked enough?
Drop a little on a cold plate.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Syrup
- Boil sugar, water and lemon to soft ball (115 C).
Starch
- Whisk cornflour, cream of tartar and water, cook until thick.
- Slowly whisk in the syrup and cook, stirring, until golden. Use the gauge above.
Set
- Add rosewater, colour and nuts, pour into a dusted tin.
- Set overnight, cut and roll in dusting.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Undercooked.
Fix next time
Cook longer until it holds on a plate.
Why
Overcooked.
Fix next time
Stop at a soft blob.
Why
Not dusted enough.
Fix next time
Dust all sides generously.
Why
Rushed starch.
Fix next time
Cook slowly the full time.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Rosewater | Flavour | Orange blossom water or lemon |
| Cornflour | Set | Wheat starch |
| Pistachios | Texture | Hazelnuts |
| Cream of tartar | Clarity | Extra lemon juice |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Turkish coffee.
Store
Airtight, room temperature, 2 weeks.
Reheat
Not needed.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 36 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is it cooked enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Lokum FAQ
What is lokum?
Turkish delight, a soft starch and sugar confection.
Why is my lokum runny?
It was not cooked long enough.
Is lokum gelatine free?
Yes, it is set with starch.
How long does lokum keep?
About 2 weeks in an airtight box.