Tianjin fried sticky rice cakes

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 5: Drain on kitchen paper and cool for 5 minutes before eating; the filling is very hot.