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5.0 from 9 votes

Cakwe Recipe: Indonesian Chinese Deep-Fried Dough Sticks

Cakwe is one of the popular street foods in Indonesia that you can find in almost all regions of the country. It’s a deep-fried savoury snack with a similar texture to doughnuts, but it’s slightly chewy.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 8 sticks
Calories: 223 kcal
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: Indonesian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain flour/ all-purpose flour.
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder.
  • ½ teapoon bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar.
  • 1 teaspoon dried-instant yeast/ fast action yeast.
  • 1 small egg.
  • 7 fluid ounces lukewarm water.
  • oil for frying.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
  2. In a jug, crack the egg in and add in the water. Whisk it well using a fork.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix, then pour in the egg and water mixture little by little as you stir and mix until all is combined. Depending on the weather and the room humidity, you may not need all the egg-water mixture.  
  4. You can mix the flour mixture and the egg mixture in a stand mixer if you like. But it won’t take long to do it by hand.
  5. Just keep working and slightly knead the dough until it is smooth. It takes about 5 minutes to do it.
  6. Once you are done with kneading, shape the dough into a big ball and place it in an oiled mixing bowl. Cover it with a cling film or a damp tea towel. Keep the bowl in a dry and warm place for at least 1 hour. 
  7. After the resting time, the dough will be at least doubled in size. Punch it to release the air inside it. 
  8. Dust your work area/ chopping board with a little bit of flour. Then put the dough on it and roll it out onto a rectangle shape about 9”x12” with 0.25” thick.
  9. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough lengthwise in the middle and cut along the width. Aiming at getting a 1.5”x4.5” rectangle. So you will have 16 small rectangles in total. Try your best to cut them in a uniform shape and size.
  10. Pick one rectangle and pile it on top of another rectangle. Using a chopstick, carefully press the middle of the rectangle lengthwise. The idea is to make the two rectangles stick to each other in the centre along its length. 
  11. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or a wok. Check the temperature of the oil by throwing a little piece of dough in the hot oil. If it’s frying up steadily quickly but not too rapidly, the oil is ready.
  12. Now, take a pair of rectangles and hold both ends of the rectangle as you gently pull it apart to making it longer at least doubles in size. Then carefully slide the rectangle dough in the hot oil. Use chopsticks or a tong to turn the cruller around the oil. Fry until it is fully cooked and light golden in colour.

Notes

  • Fry the crullers/ cakwe a few at a time to give them enough space so it will be easy to turn around. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 223kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 3g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 18mg (6%) Sodium 488mg (20%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8sticks

Amount Per Serving

Calories 223

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 223kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 3g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 488mg 20%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.