-
1
Steam and Mash the Sweet Potatoes
15 Mins
Steaming 100°C (212°F)
Put the sweet-potato chunks in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 15 minutes until they crush easily with a fork. Tip into a bowl and mash while still hot until completely smooth, with no lumps — lumps make the dough crack when you shape it. Leave to cool for 5 minutes until you can handle it.
Mash while the sweet potato is hot; cold sweet potato turns gluey and needs far more flour, which makes the fritters heavy.
Done when: A smooth, lump-free mash that holds a spoon upright.
-
2
Cook the Spicy Dried-Shrimp Filling
15 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
While the sweet potatoes steam, heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant, then add the soaked dried shrimp and fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in the grated coconut, sugar and salt, and cook on low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the filling is almost dry but still moist. Taste and adjust the salt — it should be spicy, savoury and a little sweet. Set aside to cool completely.
Do not rush this step: a wet filling leaks in the fryer and bursts the fritters. Cook until a spoon dragged through leaves a clear trail.
Done when: A dry, crumbly, fragrant filling that holds together when pinched.
-
3
Knead the Sweet-Potato Dough
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Add the plain flour, tapioca flour, 5 g of the sugar and 2 g of the salt to the cooled mashed sweet potato. Knead gently with your hands for 3–4 minutes until you have a soft, smooth dough that does not stick to your fingers. If it is sticky, dust in a little more flour, a spoonful at a time — too much flour makes the fritters tough.
Knead lightly and briefly: overworked sweet-potato dough turns dense. Stop as soon as it comes together.
Done when: A soft, smooth dough that leaves your hands clean.
-
4
Fill, Seal and Shape the Fritters
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 58 g each, and roll each into a ball. Flatten one ball in your palm into a disc about 1 cm thick, place a heaped teaspoon of filling (about 20 g) in the centre, then gather the edges up and pinch firmly to seal. Roll gently back into a ball, then press lightly to flatten it slightly. Repeat with the rest, keeping your hands lightly floured.
Seal twice: pinch, then roll the sealed side against your palm. A single weak pinch is how filling escapes into the oil.
Done when: Neat, sealed balls with no filling showing and no cracks.
-
5
Deep-Fry Until Golden
10 Mins
Oil 170°C (340°F)
Heat the deep-frying oil to 170°C (340°F) — a cube of dough should sizzle and rise at once. Lower the fritters in, 4 at a time, and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden all over and crisp at the edges. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper. Let the oil come back to 170°C (340°F) between batches.
Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot — cold oil soaks in and the fritters turn greasy instead of crisp.
Done when: Deep golden, crisp outside, and hot right through.
-
6
Drain and Serve Hot
5 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Pile the hot fritters on a plate — one serving is three fritters, about 238 g — and serve at once, while the outside is still crisp and the filling is steaming. Eat with your fingers, as they do at the market stalls.
Cucur badak softens as it cools, so fry the last batch just before serving and never cover the plate — trapped steam kills the crispness.
Done when: Hot, crisp, golden fritters, best eaten within minutes.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the fritters hot from the fryer with a glass of teh tarik — crisp outside, soft and sweet-potatoey inside, with the spicy shrimp-and-coconut filling at the centre.
Malaysia
1h 10m
