Ham Chin Peng

I am sure many of you living in Singapore or Malaysia area would have tasted this delicious fried dough treat. Many eat it with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast. It comes in two kinds of fillings, salty five spice with nam (fermented bean curd) or sweet red bean paste. I much prefer the latter. :) I have always wanted to learn how to make this Asian treat...long before while I am still in States. But now that I am back home, even though it's so easily accessible, I am still eager to try my hands making it myself. I finally got to make it one day...one very early day...I actually woke up at 6am to shape and fry these babies! Talk about cooking passion, lol!

Considering it's my first attempt, it was pretty successful. ;) I had left the dough in the fridge overnight to proof and work on it the following morning. I wanted to enjoy it for breakfast and thus being so "hardworking" to wake up that early. :P

I got my recipe from Agnes Chang's Hawkers' Delight book. This book was actually a gift from my sisters years ago before I left for States. She was worried that I would miss the hawker food too much and thus hope I will cook something for myself while in the foreign country. ;) Very sweet of her, but I only got to do it now, lol! Anyway, here is the recipe:

Ingredients for 15 to 20 Ham Chin Peng:
Ingredients A:
360g high protein flour
120g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp alkaline water
250ml water (I only used 200ml, 'cos the dough was already very sticky)

Ingredients B:
90g flour
90ml water
2 tsp vinegar

Ingredients C:
1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp water
Filling:
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp nam yee (Fermented red bean curd)
1/2 tsp oil

~150g Sweet red bean paste

Method:

• Mix ingredients B two days before.
• Mix ingredients C and leave for 15 minutes.
• Mix ingredients A, B and C together. Knead well. Leave it to proof for 1 to 2hrs until it double in bulk. (I left it in the fridge over night and it proofed nicely)
• For salty filling, rolled out the proofed dough into a rectangle. Mix five spice, nam yee and oil together. Brush it on the dough and roll it up like a swiss roll. Cut into slices, Shape each slice with your hands and flatten it a little.
• If you want to add red bean paste, take each cut up slice and flatten it. Then fill it with about 20g of red bean paste. Seal nicely and press one side of the dough onto some sesame. Let dough rest for 15 minutes before frying them.
• Heat up about 1 cup of cooking oil in a pot, with medium heat. Gently lower the dough into the oil and fry each side for about 3 to 5 minutes till golden brown.
• Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain the oil. Serve while still hot.

Shaping, filling and frying took no time really. :) The best part was biting down the crunchy fried dough and sweet red bean filling inside...yum yum! The nam yee in the dough make it a slight savory taste to it, complimenting the sweet red bean paste, nice!

Personally I am not a "fried" person, not that I don't like fried food, just the thought of eating oily food just doesn't attract me nowadays (getting old). Also the part about cleaning up is not so fun, lol! :P *lazy me* Although these are really tasty, but I don't think I will do it that often. But if you are not as lazy as me and love Ham Chin Peng, do consider giving this a try. Sure beats store bought ones if you ask me. ;) Just look at the amount of red bean paste I stuff inside there, lol! I love a generous dose of that sweet paste, don't think you can get that at any store for sure. :)

Anyway, try and let me know how it turn out for you all. ;) Have a nice weekend all!