JapaneseSata andagi
Okinawan doughnuts
サーターアンダギー (sātā andāgī): Okinawa's cracked, crunchy brown-sugar doughnut balls
In the Okinawan language, sata andagi simply means 'sugar deep-fried'. These round doughnuts came from Chinese sweets brought to the old Ryukyu kingdom and have been a family treat on the islands for centuries, made for celebrations and sold warm in paper bags at Naha's Makishi market. They are dense and cakey inside with a thick, crunchy crust, and as they fry they split open into a shape Okinawans call a smile, a sign of good luck. Okinawa's dark kokuto sugar gives them a caramel flavour; brown sugar works too. Chef's tip: fry in oil that is only warm, about 150°C. Slow frying lets the balls cook through and crack open, while hot oil seals them shut and leaves the middle raw.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 eggsat room temperature
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- vegetable oilfor deep-frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 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.
10 minStep 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.
5 minStep 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.
12 minStep 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.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does sata andagi take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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