Ham chim peng schmaltz (Doughnuts with sticky rice)

A recipe that combines elements of a popular Southeast Asian deep-fried pastry with the joy of German’s icing-sugar dusted schmaltzkuchen. Serve with cinnamon almond rice milk for dipping.

Ham chim peng schmaltz (doughnuts with sticky rice). Credit: Murdoch Books / Sam Folan

• makes

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

When I went to Germany for Christmas one year, I discovered my all-time favourite doughnuts, schmaltzkuchen! I loved the icing sugar exploding in my face when I bit into the chewy fried dough. When I was developing this recipe, I didn’t put enough sugar into the rice, but the texture was so similar to schmaltzkuchen that I ran to the cupboard to fish out the icing sugar. Hence, this wonderful mash up was created!

Ingredients

For the starter

• 40 g (1½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ tsp granulated (white) sugar
• ½ tsp dried instant or fast-action yeast
• 60 ml (2 fl oz) water

For the dough

• 120 g (4 oz) strong bread flour
• 50 g (1¾ oz) granulated (white) sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 60 ml (2 fl oz) water
• ½ tsp vegetable oil

To finish

• plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
• 200 g (7 oz) cooked glutinous rice (see Note)
• 500 ml (17 fl oz) vegetable oil, for frying
• 150 g (5 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar

Rising time: 2½ hours; Resting time: 20 minutes + 5 minutes

Instructions

1. Mix the ingredients for the starter in a mixing bowl, then cover with cling film (plastic wrap) or a clean towel.
2. Preheat the oven to 40°C (100°F) fan or Gas ¼, then turn the oven off. Place the mixing bowl into the oven to rise for about 2 hours.
3. Mix the dry ingredients for the dough in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the water and vegetable oil along with the risen starter. Mix it all together to form a wet dough.
4. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and lightly knead until it forms a smooth ball. Dust generously with flour, if needed, as the dough is quite sticky. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
5. Dust your rolling pin and work surface with more flour. Roll out the dough to a 14 x 20-cm (5½ x 8-inch) rectangle, 1cm (½ inch) thick. Arrange the glutinous rice in the middle to form a log along the length of the dough. Roll the dough up to cover the rice (like a sausage roll) and pinch shut, then cut the log into 8 equal slices.
6. Dust your rolling pin with more flour. Place the dough slices cut-sides down, press gently on them with your palm, then roll each out into a disc, about 5cm (2 inches) in diameter. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
7. Heat the oil for frying in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a little dough into the oil – it should sizzle and float immediately. Fry the doughnuts two at a time until golden brown. Flip them from time to time, to ensure even cooking.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to absorb excess oil and let the doughnuts rest for 5 minutes.
9. Place the icing sugar onto a plate or tray. Roll the doughnuts generously in the icing sugar, ensuring all sides are covered with enough to explode in your face when you bite into them! These can also be dipped in homemade cinnamon almond rice milk.

Note

• To cook perfect sticky rice: Wash 230 g (8 oz) glutinous rice the rice under running cold water 2–3 times. Drain the rice well. Soak the drained rice in freshly boiled water for 20 minutes. Make sure there is enough water to cover the rice by about 2.5cm (1 inch). Drain after exactly 20 minutes. Don’t oversoak, as the rice will be too soft.
• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over a medium heat and suspend a fine metal sieve over the pan. Place a new clean J Cloth (or all-purpose kitchen cloth/muslin/cheesecloth) in the sieve, then pour in the drained rice. Make a crater in the middle of the rice with your fingers to even out the thickness at the centre. Sprinkle over the salt. Fold the cloth over the rice, cover with a lid and steam over a medium heat for 20 minutes. Check the level of water from time to time, so that it doesn’t boil dry. You should have soft and chewy grains. Remove the rice from the heat. You will have leftover rice after using some for this recipe.

This is an edited extract from Rice by Ping Coombes, photography by Sam Folan. (Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.