| 1 | *note: pistachio nuts should be blanched. |
| 2 | Optionally, same amount of finely chopped walnuts may be used intead of pistachios. |
| 3 | Beat eggs until frothy, beat in sugar and salt. |
| 4 | Stir in milk and oil. |
| 5 | Sift flour, add half to egg mixture and blend in with wooden spoon. |
| 6 | Gradually stir in remainder of flour, holding back about ?cup. |
| 7 | Turn onto floured board and dust with some of reserved flour. |
| 8 | Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and glossy, using more flour as required. |
| 9 | Dough will still be slightly sticky. |
| 10 | Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 2 hours. |
| 11 | 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. |
| 12 | Gather up dough on one side and pinch, forming a shape resembling an elephant ear. |
| 13 | Place on a cloth and cover. |
| 14 | Repeat with remaining dough. |
| 15 | Deep fry one at a time in oil, heated to 190 c (375°F) turning to cook evenly. |
| 16 | Fry until golden, do not over-brown. |
| 17 | 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. |
| 18 | Drain pastries on paper towels. |
| 19 | Sift icing sugar with cardamom if used and dust pastries with mixture. |
| 20 | Sprinkle with nuts and serve warm or cold. |
| 21 | Store in a sealed container. |
| 22 | Alternative topping: make a syrup with 1 cup sugar and ?cup water. |
| 23 | Bring to the boil when sugar is dissolved and boil for 5 minutes. |
| 24 | Dribble syrup onto warm pastries and sprinkle with cardamom and nuts |
