Sachima (Ma Jai)馬仔
Sachima, also known as Ma Jai, is a sweet pastry popular in Cantonese cuisine. It's made from strips of fried dough, bound together with a sugary syrup, and often garnished with sesame seeds or raisins. It has a soft, chewy texture and a delightful sweetness.
01Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 5g baking powder
- 2g salt
- 20ml water
- 500ml vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 150g granulated sugar
- 100g maltose
- 50ml water, for syrup
- 20g unsalted butter
- 10g toasted white sesame seeds
- 20g raisins
Nutrition (per serving)542kcal
- Protein6.2g
- Carbs68.5g
- Fat25.8g
Fiber 1.2 gSodium 610 mg
02Steps
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the large eggs and water to the dry ingredients. Knead the mixture until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rested dough into a very thin sheet, about 1-2mm thick.
- Cut the dough sheet into thin strips, about 0.5 cm wide and 5 cm long.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot or wok to 160-170°C (320-340°F).
- Fry the dough strips in batches until they are puffy and golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Remove the fried strips with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- In a separate pot, combine the granulated sugar, maltose, water for syrup, and unsalted butter.
- Heat the syrup mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a thick, sticky consistency (around 115-120°C or soft-ball stage).
- Immediately add the fried dough strips, toasted white sesame seeds, and raisins to the hot syrup. Mix quickly and thoroughly until all strips are evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture into a greased rectangular mold or baking pan. Press it down firmly and evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Let the Sachima cool completely at room temperature, then unmold and cut into individual serving pieces.
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