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Sachima (honeyed egg-noodle bars)
沙琪玛 · the Manchu fried-dough bars from northern China, bound in syrup and cut into soft squares
Sachima came to Beijing with the Manchus, and old-fashioned bakeries in the north still sell it in big trays: thin strands of egg dough are fried pale gold, tossed in a sticky syrup, pressed into a block and cut into fluffy, sweet squares. Children in China and in Chinese communities abroad grow up with the wrapped supermarket kind, but homemade is lighter and softer. The common mistake is overcooking the syrup; take it too far and the bars set rock hard instead of chewy. It should only reach the thread stage, about 112 °C. Chef's tip: fry the strands only until pale straw-coloured, not brown; they keep cooking for a moment once lifted from the oil.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggsbeaten
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil
For the syrup
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 3 ½ oz maltose or golden syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup water
To finish
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 ⅜ oz raisins (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder, add 3 eggs and knead into a smooth, soft but not sticky dough, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Roll out on a well-floured surface as thinly as you can, about 2 mm. Cut into strips 6 cm wide, stack them with plenty of flour between and cut across into thin strands 3 mm wide. Shake off the extra flour in a sieve.
Step 3: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wok to 325°F. Fry the strands in 4 batches for about 1 minute, stirring with chopsticks to separate them, until puffed and pale golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
8 minStep 4: Line a 20 cm square tin with oiled baking paper and scatter 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds over the base.
Step 5: In a clean pan, bring 5 ½ oz sugar, 3 ½ oz maltose or golden syrup, 2 tbsp honey and ¼ cup water to the boil over a medium heat and boil for 5–6 minutes, until it reaches about 225°F. A drop pressed between two fingers (careful, let it cool a little first) should stretch into a thread.
6 minStep 6: Take off the heat, tip in the fried strands and 1 ⅜ oz raisins and fold quickly with an oiled spatula until everything is coated.
Step 7: Tip into the tin and press down firmly and evenly with an oiled sheet of baking paper. Leave to cool for 30 minutes until set but still soft.
30 minStep 8: Lift out and cut into 16 squares with an oiled knife. Keep in an airtight box for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sachima (honeyed egg-noodle bars) take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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