Tsikalang

Following my previous post I am continuing this nostalgic theme of food inspired by my childhood.

When I was in primary school my Lola (Filipino word for grandma) on my mum's side lived with us. She was a gentle, graceful lady; very soft-spoken and excellent with her hands. She used to share her tin of Danish butter cookies with me and my brothers, then would use the tin to store her sewing needles and thread. She would crochet an entire doily with no pattern required, complete it, then unravel the whole thing and start a new one.

After school she knew how hungry we would be, so she would prepare a snack such as this one. My mother's family is from Zamboanga - a city in the south of the Philippines. I'm sure this dish probably has different names depending on what city you're in, but it is based on 2 ingredients: glutinous rice flour and brown sugar.

TSIKALANG

(Pronounced "sick-a-lung")

I used 1/2 a cup of glutinous rice flour to make enough for 1 person.
Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Gradually add water a little bit at a time and keep mixing to form dough.

When you can roll the dough into a ball, it is ready.

Lola used to roll and twist the dough like doughnut twists.

Roll a long sausage, twirl, then pinch to close the end.

Heat about 2cm of vegetable oil over medium heat.

Fry the dough, turning from time to time until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels while you prepare the sugar glaze.

Sprinkle enough brown sugar to cover a frying pan. Add just enough water to dissolve the sugar.

When thick and bubbling, remove from heat.

Place the fried dough in the syrup, turning all over to coat.

Let it cool just enough so it doesn't burn you, then eat immediately!