Recipe: Homemade Chinese Crullers 自制炸油条 You Char Kuey (Yau Cha Kwai)

Updated: 18 April 20

Hmmm, yum! It has the slight crunch that I have been looking forward to. Finally found the right texture and the amount of large air pockets that I wanted to replicate.

The You Char Kuey tastes as good even when it is completely cool.  Part of the slight crunch remained and I do noticed it won't collapse when biting into it.

I made the first few batches back in 2017. A friend posted hers (super yummy Yau Cha Kwai and Ma Kiok) on FB and hence triggered me to try ... and try ... again ... and again haha!

In my first attempt of making Ma Kiok, I realised that sugar is the magic for large air pockets! Trying to get some crunch, I added a little tapioca starch to the sweet filling in my second attempt. Yup, that's the perfect texture of Ma Kiok I have been craving for. Thanks Jo for the tips on Ma Kiok!

I then adjusted and applied the same to the existing recipe of You Char Kuey.

Dry ingredients

• 155g flour + 20g tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar

Wet ingredients

• 100g water *adjust water accordingly. Dough should't be sticky, add a little flour if it is.
• 6g (1/2 tbsp) vegetable oil

Mini Crullers

1. Combine and mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, mix and knead for 5 minutes for even distribution of all ingredients.
3. Cover and rest for 2.5 hours (or for best results, cover and  place it in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temperature around 2 hours *can be stored up to 3 days).
4. Dust the work surface.
5. Divide dough to 2 portions. Gently shape to 2 long logs then roll and flatten to long pieces of 2.5" width x 5mm thickness. Lightly dust flattened pieces *4 sides will butterfly nicely when frying. 
6. Preheat 1-2" depth of oil to 200C.
7. Cut the dough into small strips of 1" x 2.5".
8. Wet a satay stick, place it lengthwise and lightly press the middle of a strip. Place another strip on top *this shall prevent two strips from splitting while frying. 
9. Place satay stick lengthwise, pressing down the middle combining both strips.
10. Gently stretch to double the length, drop it into the hot oil. 
11. Once it floats, swirl and turn the cruller till evenly browned.

Notes: Here, sugar reduces both the resting time and the amount of baking powder required in achieving large air pockets. Apparently ingredients such as whipped egg whites and sugar can slow air bubbles from escaping, hence retaining more air bubbles in the dough.

From https://www.finecooking.com/article/taking-control-of-gluten, it states that sugar hinders gluten. Sugar molecules encourage tenderness by attaching to water molecules before they can bind with glutenin and gliadin. It also states that fats weaken gluten too.

Learning from failures:

• Step 3: Dough rest between 2-3 hours depending on ambient temperature. On cooler days, I'll rest the dough in the oven *preheated to 30C then Off. When the dough is ready, it is soft and less elastic. It is easy to stretch and shape.  For best results, do rest the dough overnight in the fridge.
• Step 5:Shaping and flattening of dough need to be gentle yet fast, retaining as many air bubbles as possible.
• Step 8: To buy a second chance, Do Not combine all strips (combined dough strips will stick together if sitting too long). Fry a trial set. If it doesn't turn out with big air pockets, cover and let the balance strips rest for another 15 minutes. Then try again. 

Combine and mix all dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and mix.

Knead for 5 minutes for even distribution of all ingredients. Cover and rest for 2.5 hours.

Dust the work surface. Divide dough to 2 portions. Gently shape to 2 long logs.

Personally, I would gently stretch dough log longer before rolling to flat pieces of 2.5" width x 5mm thickness. Lightly dust flattened pieces *4 sides will butterfly nicely when frying.

Cut flattened dough into small strips of 1" x 2.5". Wet a satay stick, place it lengthwise and lightly press the middle of a strip. Place another strip on top *this shall prevent two strips from splitting while frying.  Then, place satay stick lengthwise, pressing down the middle combining both strips.

Gently stretch to double the length, drop it into the hot oil.

Once it floats, swirl and turn the cruller till evenly browned.

17 July 17 *do refer updated recipe up there!





I never thought I'll be making this.

Yum! Satu koOpii O please!


Dry ingredients

• 175g flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp + 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Wet ingredients

• +/-115g milk or +/-100g water
• 6g vegetable oil

Mini Crullers

1. Combine and mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, mix and knead to form dough. 
3. Cover, rest for 30 min.
4. Knead dough till smooth and elastic.
5. Divide dough to 2 portions, roll and flatten to long pieces of 2.5" width x 5mm thick.
6. Brush oil on both sides.
7. Cover and rest for 4 hours or more (you may place it in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temperature the next day, around 2 hours). It takes time to react and form tiny air bubbles. 
8. Heat the oil about 2"-3" depth to 200C. This is critical!
9. Cut the dough into small strips of 1" x 2.5".
10. Place one strip on top of another.
11. Place a chopstick or satay stick lengthwise, pressing down the middle combining both strips.
12. Gently stretch to double the length, drop it into the hot oil.
13. Once it floats, swirl and turn the cruller till evenly browned. Yum!

Recipe adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRc3F6uwR3E&feature=youtu.be

Divide dough to 2 portions. Gently shape to 2 long logs.

Roll and flatten to long pieces of 2.5" width x 5mm thick.

Cut the dough into small strips of 1" x 2.5".

Place one strip on top of another.

Place a chopstick or satay stick lengthwise, pressing down the middle combining both strips.