Fried Sanzi (Chinese Twisted Fritters)
A traditional fried pastry with a golden-yellow color and a crisp, fragrant flavor. Made by stretching the dough into thin strands, coiling them into rings, and deep-frying until crispy.
Ingredients
flour
500 g
vegetable oil (about 150 g actually used)
1.5 kg
salt
7 g
cold water
250 g
Instructions
1
Mixing and Resting the Dough
Combine the flour with salt and 200 g of the water, stir to mix, then knead repeatedly, gradually adding the remaining water as you knead, until the dough is fine and free of any lumps. Place it in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest briefly. Press the rested dough into a flat sheet about 1.5 cm thick, then cut into 1.5 cm wide strips. Roll each strip to roughly the thickness of a chopstick, then place the strips in a well-oiled bowl, brushing a little oil on each layer to prevent sticking. Once all the strips are arranged, cover with a cloth and let rest for 50–60 minutes.
2
Wrapping and Frying
Heat the vegetable oil. Take one prepared strip and hold its end against the base of your left index finger, pressing it down with your thumb. Wind the strip from the inside out around your other four fingers, pulling it thinner as you wind. After about 30 loops, tear off the strip. Tuck the broken end into the center of the coil. Insert the index fingers of both hands into the coil and stretch it to about two-thirds longer. Then replace the two index fingers with two chopsticks to keep the two strands straight and parallel, and lower the coil into the hot oil. Fry until half-cooked, then fold it diagonally. Once the shape is set, pull out the chopsticks and continue frying until the color turns deep golden. Remove and drain.
