Sachima
Crispy, deep-fried dough strands bound in a sticky sugar and maltose syrup, finished with toasted sesame seeds and cut into sweet, crunchy squares.
Story
Making Sachima from scratch is a tactile delight. It starts with a simple egg dough that rests until supple, then gets rolled whisper-thin and sliced into fine strips. A hot fry transforms these strips, making them puff into golden, airy crunches. The real alchemy is the syrup—white sugar and maltose simmered until glossy, acting as the sweet glue that holds everything together. Tossed with dry-toasted black and white sesame seeds, the sticky mass is pressed into an oiled mold to set. Once cooled, it slices into perfect squares that shatter satisfyingly on the first bite, giving way to a lingering, chewy sweetness.
Ingredients
Flour
300g
Eggs
2
White sugar
150g
Maltose
150g
Black sesame seeds
15g
White sesame seeds
15g
Water
80ml
Cooking oil
about 200g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Put the flour into a bowl.
2
Step 2
Add the eggs.
3
Step 3
Knead into a smooth dough.
4
Step 4
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for about one hour.
5
Step 5
Sprinkle a layer of dry flour on the rested dough, and it is best to dust your hands and rolling pin with a little as well.
6
Step 6
Roll the dough into a flat sheet.
7
Step 7
Make it as thin as possible.
8
Step 8
Roll up the dough sheet with a rolling pin.
9
Step 9
Use a knife to make a cut directly above the rolling pin.
10
Step 10
Cut from one end to the other.
11
Step 11
This way, the dough sheets are divided into strips of equal width.
12
Step 12
Then cut the dough sheets vertically into strips about 0.5 cm wide. Sprinkle a layer of dry flour and shake to prevent sticking.
13
Step 13
Heat oil in a wok.
14
Step 14
When the oil is 80% hot, add the noodles to the pot in batches; due to the flour and eggs, the noodles will expand rapidly. Fry the noodles until they turn slightly yellow and become hard, then remove and set aside.
15
Step 15
Put the white sugar and maltose water into a pot.
16
Step 16
Simmer over low heat; do not stir while cooking.
17
Step 17
When the sugar is almost done simmering, take another pot, without adding any oil, add the black and white sesame seeds, and stir-fry over low heat until cooked.
18
Step 18
Place the pre-oiled mold on a non-stick mat (a food storage container can also be used, but all sides and the bottom must be oiled). You can sprinkle a layer of sesame seeds on the bottom.
19
Step 19
Place the Sachima into the mold, put a layer of plastic wrap on the surface, roll it with a rolling pin, and gently press to compact.
20
Step 20
Let it cool at room temperature, remove the mold, and cut into pieces.
