Korean Glutinous Rice Donut
Quick answer
Chapssal donut is a Korean deep-fried snack made from glutinous rice flour kneaded with sugar, salt, and hot water, then fried at 170 degrees Celsius.
What makes this special
- Hot-water kneaded glutinous rice dough creates a stretchy, sticky bite for this deep-fried donut.
- Hot-water dough activates glutinous rice starch for a stretchy, sticky bite
- Slow fry at 170°C creates a thin crisp shell over a dense chewy mochi-like center
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 In a bowl, mix 200 g glutinous rice flour, 30 g sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- 2 Stir with chopsticks or a spatula until the dough gathers and becomes less sticky to handle.
- 3 Divide the dough into 20 g pieces, roll each one between your palms, then press into a 3 to 4 cm disc.
Chapssal donut is a Korean deep-fried snack made from glutinous rice flour kneaded with sugar, salt, and hot water, then fried at 170 degrees Celsius. The sticky rice dough puffs up in the oil, forming a thin, crisp shell on the outside while keeping a dense, chewy interior. Unlike wheat-flour donuts, each bite stretches with a mochi-like pull that is specific to glutinous starch. Rolling the donuts in sugar the moment they come out of the oil lets the crystals stick to the still-hot surface evenly, locking in both crunch and sweetness at once. The ingredient list is short and the dough requires minimal kneading, making this a straightforward snack to prepare at home.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
In a bowl, mix 200 g glutinous rice flour, 30 g sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
Add the 80 ml hot water gradually instead of pouring it in at once, so the flour hydrates evenly.
- 2Prep
Stir with chopsticks or a spatula until the dough gathers and becomes less sticky to handle.
Stop kneading once no dry flour is visible and the dough feels soft, because overworking can make shaping messier.
- 3Step
Divide the dough into 20 g pieces, roll each one between your palms, then press into a 3 to 4 cm disc.
Pinch any cracked edges together and press the center slightly so each donut puffs more evenly.
- 4Heat
Heat the 500 ml frying oil to 170 C and keep the heat at medium-low.
If small bubbles rise slowly around a wooden chopstick, the oil is ready; avoid higher heat, which browns the outside before the center cooks.
- 5Heat
Add the donuts carefully and leave them alone at first, because they will sink before the crust sets.
After 1 to 2 minutes, they should puff and float; turn them occasionally and fry for 4 to 5 minutes total.
- 6Season
Remove the donuts when the outside is lightly brown with a thin crisp shell, then drain well.
When they cool to about 60 to 70 C and feel warm, roll them in sugar so the crystals coat evenly.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
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