Ham Chim Peng (Chinese Fried Doughnuts) – Three Ways!

Ham Chim Peng (Chinese Fried Doughnuts) recipe with three varieties: kap zhong/kap chung (glutinous rice ), red bean paste fried doughnuts , or Chinese five-spice doughnuts. The doughnuts are soft yet chewy and dough doesn’t require kneading. The recipe is with step-by-step photos and video as your guides.

I couldn’t help but thinking about grandma (my mom side) when I made ham chim peng a few months ago. My grandma loved ham chim peng, especially the one with glutinous rice stuffed in the middle of the dough. Every weekend we would visit grandma and mom would make sure she bought some ham chim peng with glutinous rice for her. I personally love both ham chim peng with glutinous rice and also the ones with sweet red bean paste (dou sha) stuffed inside, that’s my dad’s favorite too.

HAM CHIM PENG (CHINESE FRIED DOUGHNUTS)

Ham chim peng is of Chinese origin and obviously has made its way to Indonesia as well. It is a popular tea time snack among the Indonesian Chinese and also the native Indonesian. It is called kue bantal in Indonesia. Bantal means pillow in Indonesia. It is named as such because of its softness. Unlike the Western doughnuts, ham chim peng is made without any butter, milk, and eggs. Ham chim peng is made with starter dough that has been proofed for 2 hours and then mixed with bread flour, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, alkaline water, and sugar to form a very sticky dough. The dough is then shaped, filled (or not) and deep-fried. The result is incredibly soft and airy doughnuts. You will see large air holes inside the doughnuts when you tear it open.

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS USED IN MAKING HAM CHIM PENG – TWO WAYS!

1. White glutinous rice
2. Alkaline water / Lye water / Potassium Bicarbonate – this adds chewiness to the texture
3. Sweet red bean paste. You can also make sweet red bean paste from scratch if you want to

WHY YOU WILL LIKE THIS HAM CHIM PENG RECIPE

1. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted. Like seriously!! The dough is soooo soft, light, and airy.
2. Large air holes inside the ham chim peng, which is what we are looking for.
3. Shorter waiting times. The previous recipe I posted took 15 hours to make the dough starter. This recipe only needs 2 hours with yeast.

Makes me happy to see large air holes inside the doughnuts

HOW TO MAKE HAM CHIM PENG (3 WAYS)

1. PREPARE STARTER
Place ingredients for starter in a mixing bowl and stir to mix everything


Cover and put at a warm place. I put it in my oven using “bread proof” function.

The starter will double in size in about 2 hours

2. COOK GLUTINOUS RICE (IF MAKING KAP ZHONG)
Soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours or overnight if cooking on the stove. Drain off the soaking water. No soaking is needed if cooking with a pressure cooker.

Put sugar and salt and stir to mix with the rice. For Instant pot pressure cooker, press pressure cooker, high pressure, and set timer for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up, wait 10 minutes and then release pressure completely. If you plan to cook on the stove, steam over high heat for 45 minutes or until the soft is soft and sticky. Fluff the rice. Let it cools down completely.

3. PREPARE THE DOUGH
Mix all the dry ingredients for the dough from all-purpose flour all the way to baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix. Make a small well in the middle

Whisk to mix. Make a small well in the middle. Add the starter, water and alkaline water, oil and stir to mix until you get a sticky dough

Generously flour your working surface with flour.

Use a spatula to scoop the dough out onto the floured surface.

Use the flour to help you shape the dough into a large dough ball. You need to flour your fingers too.

At any point if it’s sticky, lightly dust with flour until you can form a large dough ball.

Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap or a bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes

After resting the dough will be flexible for rolling and shaping now

4. SHAPING
FOR KAP ZHONG (GLUTINOUS RICE HAM CHIM PENG)
After resting, dust your working surface with some flour again. Cut the dough into two. Keep the other covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1 cm in thickness

Place the glutinous rice log towards the side near you. Roll it up to the other side. Seam side down.


Cut into 10 equal pieces. Repeat with the other dough and glutinous log. You will have a total of 20 in the end

Dust with a bit of flour and use a rolling pin to roll it flatter and more round. Cover them with a cloth to let them rest for 20 minutes before frying.

FOR SWEET RED BEAN PASTE HAM CHIM PENG
Divide the sweet red bean paste filling and roll into 20 equal balls. Cut the dough into 20 pieces. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time. Flatten the dough slightly and then place the sweet bean paste ball in the middle of the dough.

Gather the side to wrap and seal. Use a rolling pin to roll it flatter

Spray with a bit of water on top and sprinkle some white sesame seeds on top and gently press them on the dough. Cover them with a cloth to let them rest for 20 minutes before frying. Repeat with the rest

FOR CHINESE FIVE-SPICE HAM CHIM PENG
After resting, dust your working surface with some flour again. Cut the dough into two. Keep the other covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1 cm in thickness

Spread the five-spice paste you prepared earlier on the surface

Then roll up from the side near you into a log

Then cut into 10 pieces. Repeat with the other dough and five-spice paste. You will have 20 pieces total.

Dust with a bit of flour and use a rolling pin to roll them flatter

5. RESTING
Cover and let them rest for 20 minutes before frying

6. FRYING
Preheat oil over medium heat.Fry 2-3 pieces at a time over medium heat. Watch the heat so they won’t get too dark on the outside but the dough is not cooked inside.

When dough floats to the top, use the chopsticks to turn dough as frequently as possible so they brown evenly. and it allows even puffiness. Fry until dough is golden brown.

Place on an absorbent paper towel to absorb extra oil. Transfer to serving plate. Serve warm

Five-spice Ham Chim Peng

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT HAM CHIM PENG

1. Uncooked dough
Once you are done shaping and filling the dough, you can freeze them by placing them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer until they are firm and hardened and then wrap each one in a plastic wrapper and place in a freezer bag. 1-2 hour before you plan to cook them, bring them out and let them thaw completely on the counter before frying. You may need to dust with a bit of flour if they get too sticky for you to pick up with your fingers after thawing.
2. Leftover
Leftover ham chim peng can be stored at room temperature for about 2-3 days. This also depends on humidity. If it’s really humid where you are, it’s best to keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can reheat by baking them in the oven at 375 F for 8-10 minutes in the oven.

DID YOU MAKE THIS HAM CHIM PENG RECIPE?

I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!

Recipe was originally published in 2018. I have updated with a faster version and even better soft and chewy dough from Katherine Kwa’s.  The only ham chim peng recipe I ever need really!
*Recipe is written for 6-quart Instant Pot to cook the glutinous rice. Cooking time should remain the same for 8-quart size but will take longer to pressurize. For mini duo (3-quart), I suggest to half the recipe and use the same amount of time to cook*

Ham Chim Peng (Chinese Fried Doughnuts) - Three Ways!

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Prepare starter 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings 20 pieces

4.8 from 11 reviews

REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

0.5x1x2x

Starter:

• ▢ 100 gr all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp instant yeast
• ▢ 150 ml water

Dough:

• ▢ 300 gr bread flour (12.7% protein content)
• ▢ 110 gr sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp baking powder
• ▢ ½ tsp baking soda
• ▢ 140 ml water
• ▢ 1 Tbsp oil

Optional:

• ▢ ¼ tsp alkaline water/potassium carbonate it adds chewiness to the dough

For dusting:

• ▢ All-purpose flour

Glutinous rice filling:

• ▢ 300 gr glutinous rice soak for at least 4 hours (if cooking on the stove)
• ▢ 125 ml water if cooking on the stove
• ▢ 300 ml water if cooking with pressure cooker
• ▢ 3 Tbsp sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp salt

Sweet red bean paste filling:

• ▢ 400 gr sweet red bean paste (double recipe) or you can use store-bought
• ▢ White sesame seeds for sprinkle

For five-spice flavor:

• ▢ 1 tsp five-spice powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ 1 tsp water

Instructions

 

Prepare starter (need 2 hours to proof):

• Place ingredients for starter in a mixing bowl and stir to mix everything. Covered with plastic wrap at put in a warm place. I put it in my oven using "bread proof" function. The starter will double in size in about 2 hours

Prepare five-spice paste:

• Mix all ingredients for five-spice paste in a bowl and set aside

Steaming glutinous rice on the stove:

• Soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain off water. Put sugar and salt and stir to mix with the rice. Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Transfer the rice to a steaming dish. Steam over high heat for 45 minutes or until the soft is soft and sticky. Fluff the rice. Let it cools down completely. Proceed to shaping it into a log
• Place a parchment paper or cling wrap on a working surface, about 10x10 inch. Transfer the rice to the parchment paper and carefully shape the rice into a 2-inch diameter and about 16-inch in length log using the aid of the parchment paper. Shaping and gently squeezing to form a log. Cut into two logs

Cooking glutinous rice with Instant Pot pressure cooker :

• No soaking required if you use a pressure cooker. Briefly rinse the rice with clean water. Drain all water. Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot. Place the trivet in the pot. Pour the rice into a heat-proof container. Add water, sugar, and salt. Stir to mix and to make sure the rice is covered by water
• Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press pressure cooker, high pressure, and set timer for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up, wait 10 minutes and then release pressure completely. Open the lid carefully and remove the rice from the pot. Fluff the rice and let it cools down completely
• Place a parchment paper on a working surface, about 10x10 inch. Transfer the rice to the parchment paper and carefully shape the rice into a 2-inch diameter and about 16-inch in length log using the aid of the parchment paper. Shaping and gently squeezing to form a log. Cut into two logs

Prepare the dough:

• Mix all the dry ingredients for the dough from all-purpose flour all the way to baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix. Make a small well in the middle. Add the starter, water and alkaline water, oil and stir to mix. You will still have a very sticky and wet dough, don't panic
• Generously flour your working surface with flour. Use a spatula to scoop the dough out onto the floured surface. Use the flour to help you shape the dough into a large dough ball. You need to flour your fingers too. At any point if it's sticky, lightly dust with flour until you can form a large dough ball. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes

Shaping for kap zhong/kap chung:

• After resting, dust your working surface with some flour again. Cut the dough into two. Keep the other covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1 cm in thickness
• Place the glutinous rice log towards the side near you. Roll it up to the other side. Seam side down. Cut into 10 equal pieces. Repeat with the other dough and glutinous log. You will have total of 20 in the end
• Dust with some flour and use rolling pin to roll them flatter and more round shape. Cover with a cloth and let them rest for 20 minutes before frying

Shaping for ham chim peng with sweet red bean paste filling:

• Divide the sweet red bean paste filling and roll into 20 equal balls
• After resting, dust your working surface with some flour again. Cut the dough into 20 pieces. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time. Flatten the dough slightly and then place the sweet bean paste ball in the middle of the dough. Gather the side to wrap and seal.
• Dust with a bit of flour. Use a rolling pin to roll them flatter and more round shape. Spray with a bit of water on top and sprinkle sesame seeds on top and gently press them onto the dough. Cover and let them rest for 20 minutes before frying

Shaping for ham chim peng with five-spice flavor:

• After resting, dust your working surface with some flour again. Cut the dough into two. Keep the other covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1 cm in thickness
• Spread the five-spice paste you prepared earlier on the surface and then roll up from the side near you and then cut into 10 pieces. Repeat with the other dough and five spice paste. You will have 20 pieces total
• Dust with some flour and use a rolling pin to roll them flatter and more round shape. Cover and let them rest for 20 minutes before frying

Frying:

• Preheat oil over medium heat. Fry 2-3 pieces at a time over medium heat. Watch the heat so they won't get too dark on the outside but the dough is not cooked inside. When dough floats to the top, use the chopsticks to turn the dough as frequently as possible so they brown evenly and it also allows even puffiness. Fry until dough is golden brown. Place on an absorbent paper towel to absorb extra oil. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Mixing Bowl

Adjustable Rolling Pin

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts

Ham Chim Peng (Chinese Fried Doughnuts) - Three Ways!

Serving Size

 

1 piece (for five-spice flavor)

Amount per Serving

Calories

103

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

1

g

2

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Sodium

 

185

mg

8

%

Potassium

 

29

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

21

g

7

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

6

g

7

%

Protein

 

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

 

1

IU

0

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

11

mg

1

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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