Caramelized Egg Fritters (Sa Chi Ma /萨琪玛)

 

Sa Chi Ma (萨其马) is a traditional Chinese sweet snack made from strips of fried dough coated in a sweet, sticky maltose syrup and pressed together into a soft, delicate block. It is known for its beautiful golden-beige color, light and delicate texture, and distinctive maltose aroma. In Ipoh, Malaysia, Sa Chi Ma is a well-loved local specialty, with some shops having a history of more than 50 years.

Making Sa Chi Ma dough is similar to egg noodles. The dough is rolled out and cut into thin strips, which are then deep-fried until puffed and lightly golden. Sometimes, additional ingredients such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cranberries, or almonds are added for extra flavour and texture. The fried dough strips are then coated in melted sugar syrup, pressed firmly into a square pan and cut into smaller squares once set.

A few years ago, my husband and I visited Ipoh's famous Mistress Lane (二奶巷) to try its traditional Sa Chi Ma, which has been sold there for more than 50 years. During our visit, the staff explained that maltose is the secret behind Sa Chi Ma's beautiful glossy appearance. Using only white sugar may result in a darker finish rather than the characteristic shine.

Living in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, I usually find packaged Sa Chi Ma in supermarkets, but I have no idea how long it has been sitting on the shelf. One day, I had a craving for this sweet snack and bought a packet, only to find that its taste and texture were quite different from the one I had enjoyed in Ipoh. That experience inspired me to try making my own homemade Sa Chi Ma.

To be honest, it wasn't as easy as I had imagined! The most challenging part was cooking sugar syrup to the right consistency. The syrup needs to be thick enough to coat the fried dough strips and hold everything together without making the finished snack too hard. A useful test is to drop a little syrup into a bowl of cold water. If the drop holds its shape and does not spread out, the syrup is getting thick enough.

Another challenge was that I worked a little too slowly when mixing the fried dough strips with the syrup. As the syrup cooled, it became harder to coat the strips evenly. So, make sure everything is ready before you begin this step and work quickly while the syrup is still warm.

For shaping, I line an 8-inch square pan with baking paper for easy removal. Alternatively, you can use a square aluminum foil tray. Once pressed into the pan and allowed to set, the Sa Chi Ma can be cut into bite-sized pieces and enjoyed as a homemade treat. 

Making Sa Chi Ma takes a little practice, but the satisfaction of recreating a snack I enjoyed in Ipoh makes the effort worthwhile. If you love this traditional Chinese sweet, why not give this homemade version a try?

Full written steps, tips, and exact measurements are below. Keep scrolling!

INGREDIENTS

Egg Dough

180g High Protein flour

2 eggs

20g melt butter

some potato starch (for dusting)

1/8 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

Add on ingredients

10g toasted pumpkin seeds

½ tbsp toasted black sesame seeds

½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds

1 ½ tbsp desiccated Coconut

Sugar syrup

195g maltose

135g sugar

75ml water

METHOD

1. Combine the baking powder and high-protein flour. Put the eggs, salt, and melted butter into a mixing bowl, Mix it well with a hand whisk.  Slowly add in flour, mix and knead until you get a smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for half an hour.

2. After half an hour, cut the dough in half. Work with one at a time and keep the other covered. Dusted some potato starch on the working surface as well as the dough. Roll the dough into pieces about 1/8-inch (about 3 mm) thick.  Cut into 3 small pieces. Cut into strips about one inch wide. Toss with potato starch to prevent noodles from sticking to each other and set aside.

3. Heat up some cooking oil in a wok. Slowly add the noodles to the wok over medium-high heat. Fry the dough strips in batches until they float to the top and puffy, about 3-5 seconds or so. Don’t overcook them.  

4. Mix all ingredients for syrup in a large wok or large deep heavy-bottom pot. Cook over low-medium heat until sugar and maltose are dissolved, and the mixture is bubbly and foamy and thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. You may drop some water syrup into a bowl of cold water and do not spread. If you use a candy thermometer, it should be around 118°C.

5. While preparing the water syrup, line a baking paper with the pan and sprinkle some shredded coconut in it.

6. Once the water syrup is ready, turn off the heat, add in the fried dough strips together with the toasted sesame seed, pumpkin seeds and desiccated coconut, give it a quick stir to let all the dough stirps well coated with the syrup and stick to each other while it’s still hot.

7. Transfer right away to the prepared pan, spread out as much as you can, and then use baking paper or parchment on top to press everything down evenly.

8. Allow it to cool slightly while it's still warm and then use a knife to cut it into squares of any size. They can be stored for weeks if you keep them in an airtight container.

Tips Of Making Homemade Sa Chi Ma (萨琪玛)

1. Prepare the dough evenly

Making Sa Chi Ma dough is similar to egg noodles. Roll the dough out evenly and cut it into thin strips so they fry more uniformly. Avoid cutting the strips too thick, as this may affect their light, delicate texture.

2. Fry the dough strips in small batches

Deep-fry the dough strips in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. The strips should puff up and become lightly golden. Remove them promptly once ready so they don't become too dark.

3. Prepare all your ingredients beforehand

Once the sugar syrup reaches the right consistency, you need to work quickly. Have the fried dough strips, any nuts or seeds, and your lined square pan ready before cooking the syrup.

4. Pay attention to the sugar syrup

Cooking the syrup to the right consistency is one of the most important steps. If it is too thin, the Sa Chi Ma may not hold together properly. If cooked for too long, the finished snack may become too hard. Follow the syrup consistency specified in your recipe.

5. Work quickly when mixing

Pour the hot syrup over the fried dough strips and mix quickly but gently until they are evenly coated. As the syrup cools, it thickens and becomes harder to mix, which can result in some strips being coated better than others.

6. Press the mixture firmly into the pan

Transfer the coated dough strips into a baking-paper-lined 8-inch square pan or a square aluminum foil tray. Press the mixture firmly and evenly while it is still warm, so the pieces hold together when sliced.

7. Allow it to set before cutting

Let the Sa Chi Ma cool and set before cutting it into squares. Use a sharp knife to make clean cuts without crumbling the pieces.

8. Store it in an airtight container

Once completely cooled, store the Sa Chi Ma in an airtight container to help maintain its texture. Make sure the pieces are fully cooled before closing the container to prevent trapped moisture from affecting their crispness.

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