Curated recipes from 193 countries  •  New seasonal Mediterranean issue out now
Dinner Ideas — Global Recipe Journal
Regions All Regions Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific Browse Atlas

Overview

Tawa-Tawas

Tawas Tawas, Tawa Tawa, Potosí Fried Dough

This tawa tawas recipe turns a simple baking-powder dough into crisp golden diamonds, fried until they puff and blister, then drizzled with warm cane honey. They come from Potosí, where the name comes from the Quechua word tawa, meaning four — the four equal sides of each piece. One serving is 4 pieces with honey, about 105 g.

Tawa tawas come from Potosí, where the name comes from the Quechua word tawa, meaning four — the four equal sides of each piece. In colonial times they were sold in the streets for a real, the small coin of the day, and eaten in the morning and at tea time with cane honey or ground sugar, often beside a glass of api. The recipe has stayed close to its roots: a plain baking-powder dough, rolled thin, cut into diamonds and fried, with the honey doing all the sweet work.

Pairs well with: Warm tawa tawas with cane honey and a glass of api morado or hot tea

Provenance

Bolivia flag Bolivia

Potosí Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

40m

25m prep • 15m cook

Batch Yield

8 Servings

355 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 105 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Easy (Fried Dough)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Inappropriate

Dinner

Inappropriate

Snack & Tea

Ideal Light Bite

Occasions: Afternoon tea, breakfast, market mornings, family gatherings Cost: Low — about $1 per serving at home
Tags: Sweet Vegetarian Fried
A heaped pile of golden fried tawa tawas glistening with cane honey

Potosí Heritage

Photo: Juan_Alvaro, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $1 per serving at home (USD)

A good tawa tawa is crisp and golden outside, light inside, and glossy with honey — never greasy or pale.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 40m
P

Mix a Soft Dough and Rest It

15 Mins

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl, rub in the melted butter, then add the beaten eggs and warm milk and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead briefly until smooth, cover, and rest for 10 minutes — the rest relaxes the dough so it rolls thin without springing back.

Maestro Tip: Add the milk a little at a time; the dough should be soft and smooth, not sticky.

  1. 1

    Mix the Dough

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Sift the 400g of flour with the baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter and the beaten eggs, then add the warm milk a little at a time, mixing with a fork until a soft dough comes together. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes until smooth.

    If the dough sticks to your hands, dust with a little flour rather than adding more milk.

    Done when: A smooth, soft dough that holds its shape and does not stick to the bowl.

  2. 2

    Rest the Dough

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Cover the dough with a clean cloth or cling film and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. The rest lets the flour hydrate and the gluten relax, which is what makes the dough roll out thin without tearing.

    Do not skip the rest — an unrested dough springs back and fries thick and doughy.

    Done when: The dough feels softer and rolls out easily when pressed.

  3. 3

    Roll and Cut the Diamonds

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5 mm thick. Cut it into strips about 2 cm wide, then cut across on the diagonal to make small diamonds or rectangles about 7–10 cm long — the classic tawa shape has four equal sides.

    Roll evenly; thin spots brown too fast and thick spots stay doughy inside.

    Done when: About 32 even diamonds, each roughly the length of your thumb.

  4. 4

    Heat the Oil

    5 Mins 170°C (340°F)

    Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pan to a depth of about 4 cm and heat it to 170°C (340°F). Test with a scrap of dough: it should rise to the surface in about 2 seconds and turn golden in 1–2 minutes.

    Oil that is too hot burns the outside and leaves the centre raw; too cool and the pieces soak up grease.

    Done when: The oil shimmers and a scrap of dough sizzles gently on contact.

  5. 5

    Fry Until Golden

    10 Mins 170°C (340°F)

    Fry the diamonds in small batches so they have room to puff, turning once, for about 1–2 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

    Do not crowd the pan — the oil temperature drops and the pieces turn greasy.

    Done when: Deep golden, puffed and crisp, with a light blistered surface.

  6. 6

    Drizzle with Honey and Serve

    5 Mins Room temperature

    Warm the cane honey gently until it runs easily, pile the hot tawa tawas on a plate, and drizzle the honey over the top so it coats the pieces and runs into the cracks. Serve at once, while they are still warm and crisp.

    Warm the honey in a small pan, never to boiling, so it stays pourable.

    Done when: A glossy pile of golden diamonds, sticky with honey and still warm.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Pile the tawa tawas on a plate while they are still warm, drizzle the warm cane honey over the top so it runs into the cracks, and serve at once — they are at their best crisp, with the honey still glossy.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

355

kcal / serving

Protein

7g

Complete AA

Carbs

57g

Complex

Fats

11g

Healthy

Per serving (8 servings · 1 serving ≈ 105 g)
Energy355 kcal
Protein7 g
Carbohydrates57 g
Fat11 g
Fibre1.4 g
Sugar18.3 g
Sodium406 mg
Per 100g
Energy338 kcal
Protein7 g
Carbohydrates53.9 g
Fat10.7 g
Fibre1.3 g
Sugar17.4 g
Sodium387 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: B vitamins and iron (flour and egg), calcium (milk), small amounts of vitamin A (butter and egg).

Quick Comfort Energy

Each serving gives about 355 kcal from flour, egg and honey — a warm, filling bite for a cold highland morning.

Simple Pantry Ingredients

Flour, egg, milk, butter and sugar are all the dough needs — nothing rare or hard to find.

Light, Crisp Texture

Rolled thin and fried fast, the pieces puff and crisp rather than turning heavy, so a small serving feels satisfying.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Drinks

Api Morado

The hot, spiced purple-corn drink is the classic partner — its warmth and gentle tang balance the sweet, fried dough, and the two are sold side by side at every highland market.

Hot Cinnamon Tea

A plain hot tea with a cinnamon stick cuts through the honey's sweetness and keeps the snack from feeling heavy.

Sides

Sliced Fresh Fruit

A few slices of apple or orange add freshness and acidity next to the rich fried dough, and they need no cooking.

Full Menus

Potosí Tea-Time Spread

Serve tawa tawas with api morado and a small plate of cheese empanadas for a proper Potosí afternoon tea — sweet, savoury and hot all at once.

Complete menu

Serve warm tawa tawas with cane honey and api morado, then follow with a light soup such as sopa de quinua for a full Potosí-style afternoon meal.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Eating Them Cold and Soggy

Tawa tawas lose their crispness as they cool and the honey soaks in, turning soft and heavy. Eat them warm, and re-crisp leftovers in a hot oven instead of the microwave. This is general information, not medical advice.

Too Much Honey on Top

The dough is already sweetened and the honey adds a lot of sugar — about 18 g per serving. Drizzle lightly and taste before adding more, especially if you are watching your sugar. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA warm, sweet snack — one serving with tea is plenty for most adults.
  • ChildrenChildren love the sweet, crisp pieces, but serve them warm, not hot, and cut the pieces smaller for young children.
  • ElderlySoft to chew once the honey soaks in, but serve warm and in small pieces; the sugar adds up fast.
  • Pregnant womenA fried, sweet snack, so keep the portion to one serving and ask your clinician if you are unsure about the sugar and fat.
  • Breastfeeding womenA quick energy snack between feeds, but the honey makes it very sweet — one serving is enough.
  • AthletesA fast source of carbohydrate energy after training, best eaten with a glass of milk or tea rather than on its own.
  • Weight gainAt about 355 kcal a serving plus honey, tawa tawas are an easy way to add energy to the day.
  • Weight lossFried dough with honey is energy-dense, so keep it an occasional treat and share the batch rather than eating a full serving alone.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesThe dough and honey are high in fast sugars, so a small portion with less honey is the safer choice; ask your clinician about a suitable serving.
  • High blood pressureSodium is moderate, about 406 mg a serving, but the fried dough is rich — keep portions modest and ask your clinician if unsure.
  • Kidney diseaseThe dish is low in potassium and protein, but the sugar load matters; ask your clinician whether it fits your diet.
  • GoutTawa tawas are low in purines and generally a gentle choice; ask your clinician if you are unsure about the sweetened version.
  • Stomach issuesFried, sweet dough can be heavy on a sensitive stomach — eat it warm, not hot, in a small portion, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseHigh in refined carbohydrate and fried fat, so keep the portion small and the honey light; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Fatty liverA sweet, fried snack, so a small portion with less honey is better than a large sweetened one; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Food allergiesContains wheat (gluten), milk, butter and egg. Do not serve to anyone with a wheat, milk or egg allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis is a sweet fried snack, not a therapeutic food; anyone on a special diet should ask their clinician before eating it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool completely, then keep in a paper-lined container at room temperature.
In the fridge
2 days in a sealed container; the honey keeps them moist but they lose their crispness.
In the freezer
Up to 1 month, without the honey; thaw at room temperature.
How to reheat
Warm in a hot oven at 180°C (350°F) for 3–4 minutes until crisp again, then add the honey.
Freezing recommended
Yes, without honey — re-crisp in the oven.
Signs it has spoiled
A stale, chewy texture, a rancid oil smell, or any mould.

More recipes to explore

A tray of golden baked Bolivian salteñas standing upright with dark braided top seams in Santa Cruz de la Sierra Bolivia flag Bolivia 2h 25m
Lunch •Bolivian National Favourite

Bolivian Salteñas

A Bolivian salteña is a baked hand pie with a slightly sweet, golden dough — coloured with paprika or annatto — sealed with a braided seam across the top and baked standing upright. Inside is the jigote, a juicy beef stew of diced beef, potato, onion, peas and ají chilli, sweetened with a few raisins and set with gelatin so it turns to rich broth in the oven, with a slice of hard-boiled egg and a black olive tucked in. This is not a dry mince empanada: you bite a small corner, then spoon and sip the hot juices out. One serving (two salteñas) is about 462 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A golden baked pastry wrapped around a soupy, sweet-spicy beef stew — Bolivia's famous mid-morning hand pie, eaten upright so not a drop of broth escapes.

Pairs Well With
Llajua hot sauce & a glass of fresh orange juice
Silpancho with a thin breaded beef steak, fried egg, rice, potatoes and tomato salsa on a white plate Bolivia flag Bolivia 1h 5m
Dinner •Cochabamba Heritage

Silpancho

Silpancho is the great plate of Cochabamba: a bed of white rice and boiled potatoes covered by a single beef steak pounded until it is almost paper-thin, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried crisp, then topped with a fried egg and a fresh salsa of tomato, red onion and hot locoto pepper. The name comes from the Quechua sillp'anchu, meaning flat and thin — and the steak really does cover almost the whole plate. One serving is about 705 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A plate-sized beef steak pounded paper-thin, breaded and fried over rice and potatoes, crowned with a fried egg and fresh tomato salsa — Cochabamba's most famous plate.

Pairs Well With
Chicha or cold beer & llajua hot sauce
Pique macho platter piled with beef, sausage, fries, tomato, onion, peppers, egg and sauces Bolivia flag Bolivia 55m
Dinner •Cochabamba Heritage

Pique Macho

Pique macho is a mountain of a meal from Cochabamba: strips of beef and pork sausage fried with onion, piled over a heap of french fries with tomato, hot locoto peppers and sliced boiled egg, then finished with zigzags of mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. It is served in the middle of the table, made to be shared, and its name is a dare — pique, macho means roughly eat it, man. One serving (a quarter of the platter) is about 508 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

A heaped sharing platter of fried beef and sausage over french fries, with tomato, locoto, egg and sauces — Cochabamba's famous dare of a dinner, made for the middle of the table.

Pairs Well With
Cold beer & llajua hot sauce
A plate of sajta de pollo with chicken in orange-yellow aji sauce, boiled potato, grey tunta and fresh onion-tomato sarsa Bolivia flag Bolivia 1h 25m
Dinner •La Paz Heritage

Sajta de Pollo

This sajta de pollo recipe simmers bone-in chicken in a thick sauce of aji amarillo, onion, garlic and cumin, with green peas stirred through, and serves it with boiled potatoes, chuno (freeze-dried Andean potato) and a bright sarsa of onion and tomato. It is the dish La Paz cooks for Carnival and All Saints' Day. One serving is about 566 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Bone-in chicken simmered in a thick yellow aji sauce, served with potatoes, chuno and a fresh onion-tomato sarsa — the festive plate of La Paz.

Pairs Well With
Warm chicken in aji sauce with potatoes, chuno, rice and sarsa
High Protein

The Dinner Gazette

Never wonder what’s for dinner again

One email a week with easy dinner ideas from around the world — ingredients, steps and nutrition, tested in our kitchen first.

Delivered every Thursday morning. Unsubscribe anytime.