Chinese
VeganTianjin fried sticky rice cakes
Ěrduoyǎn zhágāo (耳朵眼炸糕): crisp golden cakes of glutinous dough filled with sweet red bean paste
These are one of Tianjin's three famous snacks, named after Erduoyan ('ear hole') Lane, where the original shop opened over a hundred years ago. The dough is soft, slightly fermented glutinous rice, filled with dark, sweet red bean paste and fried until the shell is crisp and blistered while the inside stays chewy. Locals buy them for festivals and as a winter treat. Chef's tip: seal the edges thoroughly and fry at a moderate heat; hot oil makes them burst and spit.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 8
- Per serving
- 240 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz glutinous rice flour
- ⅛ oz instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup warm waterabout
For the filling
- 7 oz red bean paste
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz glutinous rice flour, ⅛ oz instant yeast and 1 tbsp sugar. Add ¾ cup warm water gradually and knead to a soft dough that feels like earlobe and doesn't crack. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1 hour, until it smells slightly sour-sweet.
60 minStep 2: Mix 7 oz red bean paste with 1 tbsp soft brown sugar and roll into 8 balls of about 25 g.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 8. With wet hands, flatten each into a cup, put a filling ball in the middle and pinch the edges together to seal. Flatten gently into discs about 1.5 cm thick. Common mistake: leaving thin spots or gaps, which split open in the oil.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 325°F in a deep pan. Fry 3–4 cakes at a time for 6–8 minutes, turning often, until they puff, go deep golden and sound crisp when tapped.
16 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and cool for 5 minutes before eating; the filling is very hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tianjin fried sticky rice cakes take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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