• Beat eggs until frothy, beat in sugar and salt. Stir in milk and oil.
• Sift flour, add half to egg mixture and blend in with wooden spoon.
• Gradually stir in remainder of flour, holding back about 1/2 cup.
• Turn onto floured board and dust with some of reserved flour. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and glossy, using more flour as required.
• Dough will still be slightly sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 2 hours.
• Take a piece of dough about the size of a large hazelnut and roll out on a floured board to a circle about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) in diameter. Gather up dough on one side and pinch, forming a shape resembling an elephant ear. Place on a cloth and cover. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Deep fry one at a time in oil, heated to 190 C (375 F) turning to cook evenly. Fry until golden, do not over-brown. As dough is rather elastic, the pastry tends to contract with handling, so just before dropping pastry into hot oil, pull out lightly with fingers to enlarge.
• Drain pastries on paper towels. Sift icing sugar with cardamom if used and dust pastries with mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and serve warm or cold. Store in a sealed container.
• Alternative topping: Make a syrup with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water.
• Bring to the boil when sugar is dissolved and boil for 5 minutes.
• Dribble syrup onto warm pastries and sprinkle with cardamom and nuts.

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1. Jewish Life in Afghanistan - External Links
2. Jewish Chaplain Services in Afghanistan
3. Recipes from Afghanistan