Street Treats From Around Asia

Sata Andagi

Ingredients

for 50 servings

oil, for frying

6 cups  all purpose flour (750 g)

3 cups  sugar (600 g)

2 tablespoons  baking soda

½ teaspoon  salt

6 large eggs

1 cup  whole milk (240 mL)

¼ cup  orange (60 mL)

1 pinch of orange zest

Preparation

Fill a deep pot or skillet with enough oil to come 2 inches (5 cm) from the top of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (180°C).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in the eggs, milk, and orange juice. Mix until a thick batter forms.

Add the orange zest and mix to incorporate.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop ping pong ball-size dough balls into the hot oil.

Fry for about 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. The doughnuts should float to the surface when they are done.

Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve hot.

Youtiao

Ingredients

for 10 doughnuts

2 cups  all-purpose flour (250 g)

1 ½ teaspoons  baking powder

½ teaspoon  salt

1 tablespoon  whole milk

2 tablespoons  unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

⅓ cup  water (80 mL)

oil, for frying

soy milk, sweet, for serving

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, milk, softened butter, and egg.

Slowly add the water, stirring between each addition.

Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. The dough should feel very soft, but not too sticky.

Grease the bowl with oil, return the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Place the dough in the center of a large piece of plastic. Wrap it tightly, ensuring the dough is completely covered.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Let it rest on the countertop for 1-2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature and is soft to the touch.

Fill a wok or large skillet with enough oil to come 2 inches from the top of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C).

Lightly flour the dough and the surface, then carefully pull, press, and roll the dough to form a long flat loaf shape, about ¼-inch (½ cm) thick and 4-inches (10 cm) wide.

Cut the dough crosswise into 1-inch (2-cm) wide strips.

Stack them 2 by 2.

Using a chopstick or skewer, press the center of the dough stack down lengthwise.

Gently stretch, then lower each dough stack into the oil. If the oil temperature is right, the dough should rise to the surface right away. Use chopsticks or tongs to quickly roll the dough in a continuous motion for about 1 minute.

Fry until the dough is light golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve with sweet soy milk for dipping, if desired.

Kkwabaegi

Ingredients

for 12 doughnuts

1 cup  whole milk, warm (240 mL)

2 tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons  sugar, plus more for coating

2 ¼ teaspoons  active dry yeast

½ teaspoon  kosher salt

1 large egg

3 cups  all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (375 g)

oil, for frying

2 tablespoons  ground cinnamon

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, butter, and sugar.

Add the yeast and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy.

Add the salt and egg and whisk to combine.

Add the flour. Mix with a spatula until the dough starts to come together.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for 3-5 minutes.

Drizzle a bit of oil into the bowl, then add the dough. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rest in warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.

Sprinkle the dough with a bit of flour, then punch down to release the gas and knead it for a few minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover again and let it sit for another 30 minutes, or doubled in size again.

Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches to 350°F (180°C).

Transfer the dough to a clean surface, sprinkle with a bit of flour, and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until you have a soft, shiny, slightly sticky dough.

Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll into balls. Set the balls on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.

Working one at a time, roll a ball of dough out on your cutting board so it forms a rope 10-inches (25 cm) long and ½-inch (1 cm) in diameter.

Place a hand on either end of the dough rope. Move one hand upward and the other downward so that the rope becomes twisted in between your hands as you roll it.

Lift the dough, joining the 2 ends together to seal. The tension in the dough will twist it as it hangs. Add more twists, if desired.

Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Allow the doughnuts to rise for 30 minutes on a tray or cutting board, flipping halfway.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium.

Gently lower each doughnut into the hot oil.

Fry for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Occasionally flip doughnuts over to ensure they are even in color. Drain on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup (200 g) of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.

Distribute mixture onto a plate, and roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar.

Serve warm.

Jalebi

Ingredients

for 50 doughnuts

1 cup  all-purpose flour (125 g)

1 teaspoon  baking powder

1 pinch baking soda

3 tablespoons  plain yogurt

½ teaspoon  ground cardamom, divided

1 cup  water, plus 1 tablespoon, divided (240 mL)

¼ teaspoon  turmeric powder, optional, or 2 drops of orange food coloring

1 cup  sugar (200 g)

3 strands saffron

½ teaspoon  lemon juice

oil, for frying

rabri, for serving

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the yogurt and ¼ teaspoon of cardamom.

Add ½ cup (120 ml) of water and the orange food coloring. The batter should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Add more water if needed.

Cover and let rest in a warm place for 10-12 hours to ferment, or until small bubbles develop on top of the batter.

Once the batter has fermented, add the sugar and ½ cup (120 ml) of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cardamom, the saffron strands, and lemon juice.

Simmer until a sticky syrup develops, about 5 minutes.

Whisk the batter and add a tablespoon of water if the batter looks too thick. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low until it reaches 350°F (180°C).

Squeeze the batter into the hot oil, making small circular spiral shapes.

Increase the heat to medium-high.

Fry the dough shapes until they are crispy on both sides, about 5 minutes.

Remove and immediately dip in the syrup mixture.

Serve with rabri, if desired.