Sata andagi

Step 1: Whisk 2 eggs and 3 ½ oz kokuto (Okinawan brown sugar) or light brown sugar together for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mix looks glossy. Stir in 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Step 2: Sift in 8 oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and fold with a spatula until no dry flour shows. The dough is soft and sticky. Rest for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Heat vegetable oil, 6 cm deep, in a deep pan to 300°F. A pinch of dough should sink, then rise slowly with a gentle stream of small bubbles.

Step 4: Oil your hands and roll the dough into 12 balls about the size of a walnut, about 35 g each.

Step 5: Lower 4–5 balls into the oil. They'll sink, then rise after about 1 minute. Fry for 10–12 minutes in total, rolling them occasionally, until they crack open and turn deep golden brown all over.

Step 6: Common mistake: crowding the pan or turning up the heat. The oil temperature swings, the outside goes dark and the inside stays gummy. Fry in batches and keep it gentle.

Step 7: Drain on a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Break one open: the crumb should be cakey and dry right to the centre. They keep a day or two in a paper bag.