Leavened millet-flour dough pinched into small rounds and deep-fried until puffed and golden; served with honey, cheese or ayran. Softer and millet-based, distinct from lakum.
Shelame (Fried Dough Puffs)
Ingredients
Method
- Warm the milk with the sour cream/leaven and soda until it foams.
- Mix in the sugar, salt and both flours to a soft dough; let it rest and rise.
- Pinch off small pieces and flatten into 1-cm rounds.
- Deep-fry in hot oil, turning, until puffed and golden.
- Drain on paper.
- Serve warm with honey, cheese or ayran.
Keep the dough soft and don't overwork it: that's what makes the puffs light.
This is the recipe from the Recipes section of the Circassian app, where you can also scale it and save it to your favourites.
Kitchen words in Circassian
The words for what is in this dish, in Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), with audio from the Circassian app’s lessons and audio course.
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| milk | шэshe | щэshche |
| salt | шыгъуshyghu | щыгъуshchəghu |
| food | шхынshkhyn | шхыныshkhənə |
| delicious | IэфI'ef' | IэшIу'eshIu |
| This is delicious! | Мыр IэфIщ!Myr 'ef'shch! | Мыр IэшIу!Myr 'esh'u! |
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Shelame: questions
How long does it take to make Shelame?
About 60 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Shelame recipe serve?
It serves 6. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Shelame made of?
The ingredients are: 2 cups millet flour + 1 cup wheat flour; 1 cup warm milk; 2 tbsp sour cream or leaven; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp sugar; pinch of salt; oil, for frying.
Is Shelame an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as a festive dish (Breads & Grains).
Where does this Shelame recipe come from?
From the Recipes section of the Circassian app. The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
Sources
- Circassian app, Recipes section, recipe “Shelame (Fried Dough Puffs)” (recipe data last changed July 2026). The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
- Circassian app: audio course, Kabardian and Adyghe (the kitchen words: cheese, meat, milk, bread, tea, water, food, delicious), and the lessons’ vocabulary (chicken, salt, butter, honey).
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