Burmese e kya kway are long, lightly salted fried doughnuts with a crisp shell and a soft, airy middle. They are a familiar tea-shop and breakfast snack in Myanmar, often served with tea or rice porridge; this home version uses a simple yeast dough and a two-strip shaping method.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower oil
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 ml) lukewarm water, around 100°F (38°C)
- About 6 cups (1.4 L) neutral oil for frying, or enough to fill a heavy pot 2½–3 inches (6–8 cm) deep
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, baking powder, salt, and sugar so the raising agents and salt are evenly distributed. Add the tablespoon of neutral oil and the lukewarm water. Stir with a sturdy spoon until the mixture becomes a rough, shaggy dough. If dry flour remains at the bottom, work it in with your fingers rather than pouring in more water immediately; the dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not wet and batter-like.
- Knead until elastic. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 7 minutes, folding and pressing it away from you. It will start out a little sticky, then become smoother and more springy. Use only a small dusting of flour as needed: too much extra flour makes the fried dough dense. If the dough is genuinely stiff and cracking, wet your hands and continue kneading so the moisture enters gradually.
- Let the dough rise. Shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn it once to coat the surface, cover the bowl, and leave it in a comfortably warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour 40 minutes. The dough should look puffy and feel relaxed, though it may not double dramatically. This rest gives the yeast time to make the dough lighter and makes it easier to stretch without snapping back. Avoid putting the bowl on a hot surface, which can make the dough rise unevenly.
- Cut and pair the strips. Lightly oil or flour your work surface. Gently press the risen dough into a rectangle roughly 10 by 12 inches (25 by 30 cm), taking care not to squash out all the air. Cut it lengthwise into 16 strips, each about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide. Lay the strips in pairs. Dampen a fingertip with water, dab the center of one strip, and place its partner on top. Press the two together firmly down the middle. The joined center helps the pair stay together during frying while the loose edges puff.
- Heat the frying oil. Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot, leaving plenty of room above it to prevent splashes. Heat over medium to medium-high until it reaches 350–365°F (177–185°C), checking with a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, test with a small scrap of dough: it should bubble steadily and float toward the surface, but it should not darken almost immediately. Adjust the burner as you fry to keep the oil in range.
- Stretch and fry in batches. Hold a paired strip at both ends and gently stretch it to about 8–9 inches (20–23 cm), without tearing the center join. Lower it carefully into the oil, moving it away from you. Fry one or two pieces at a time, turning with chopsticks or tongs, for about 3–4 minutes total, until deeply golden and crisp on both sides. Do not crowd the pot: too many pieces lower the oil temperature and make the dough absorb more oil. If a strip separates, it can still be fried as two pieces.
- Drain and serve warm. Lift each finished doughnut out with tongs and let excess oil drip back into the pot. Transfer to a wire rack set over a tray, or to a plate lined with paper towel. Give the oil a moment to return to temperature before frying the next batch. Serve the e kya kway warm, when the outside is crisp and the inside is most airy.
Tips
- Use a soft dough, not a dry one. Flour brands and measuring methods vary, so the dough may need a teaspoon or two of extra water if it feels firm after mixing. Add it gradually. A slightly tacky dough stretches better and produces a lighter center; a very wet dough, however, will be difficult to handle and can make frying messy.
- Give the dough its full rest. If the strips keep shrinking as you stretch them, cover them and let them relax for 10 minutes before continuing. The recipe’s main rise is important, too. A cool room can slow it down, so judge by the dough’s puffiness and suppleness rather than expecting it to rise at exactly the same speed in every kitchen.
- Keep the oil temperature steady. A thermometer makes the most reliable difference between crisp doughnuts and greasy or over-browned ones. Fry in small batches and allow the oil to recover between them. If the outside browns before the inside has time to cook, lower the heat slightly; if the dough sits pale and oily, bring the temperature back up.
- Use a practical substitute for instant yeast if needed. You can use 1¼ teaspoons (4 g) active dry yeast instead. First dissolve it in the recipe’s lukewarm water with the sugar and wait 5–10 minutes, until it looks foamy, then mix it with the remaining ingredients. The dough may take longer to rise, so allow extra time rather than adding more yeast.
Serving Suggestions
Serve e kya kway freshly fried with hot black tea, sweetened milk tea, or plain tea for dipping. For a savory breakfast, offer them beside rice porridge, where the crisp dough can be dipped into the warm, mild porridge. They also work well as a snack alongside a bowl of light soup or a spread of small savory dishes. Their flavor is deliberately simple and gently salty, so a strongly sweet or heavily seasoned accompaniment can overwhelm their delicate wheat taste.
Set out the doughnuts soon after frying rather than stacking them in a covered bowl. Trapping steam softens the crisp surface. If you are serving several batches, keep the finished pieces in a single layer on a wire rack in a low oven, around 200°F (95°C), while the remaining dough fries. Do not leave them there for a long time, as extended holding dries the centers.
Variations
Make them a little sweeter: Increase the sugar in the dough to 2 tablespoons (25 g). This is a modest change, not a dessert-doughnut glaze; the pieces will brown sooner, so watch the oil temperature and color closely. A light dusting of sugar after frying is another option, although it is less typical of the savory breakfast style.
Add a sesame finish: Sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the paired strips and press them gently into the surface just before frying. They add a toasty flavor and may come loose in the oil, so use a light hand. This is an optional home variation rather than a required traditional ingredient.
Try a smaller shape: Cut the dough into 20 narrower strips and make shorter pairs for snack-size pieces. They will cook faster, so begin checking them after about 2 minutes and remove them when golden and crisp. Keep the same oil-temperature range and avoid crowding the pot.
Make a dairy-free or egg-free batch: The recipe as written contains neither dairy nor eggs, so no substitution is needed. For a different flour, replacing all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour can make the dough heavier and less stretchy. If you want to experiment, replace no more than ½ cup (60 g) at first and add a little water only if the dough feels dry.
Storage and Reheating
E kya kway are best on the day they are fried, since moisture gradually softens the crisp exterior. Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate them within 2 hours in a covered container; they keep for 3–4 days refrigerated. A paper towel under the doughnuts can absorb some condensation, but expect the texture to be softer after storage. For longer storage, freeze the cooled pieces in a sealed freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months for best quality, separating layers with parchment so they do not stick together.
To reheat refrigerated or frozen pieces, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm at 350°F (175°C) for about 5–8 minutes from the refrigerator, or 10–15 minutes from frozen, until hot and crisp again. An air fryer at 325°F (165°C) for 3–5 minutes works for refrigerated pieces; check early because smaller ones can brown quickly. Avoid the microwave if you want to recover a crisp exterior: it heats the middle but tends to leave the surface soft and chewy. Reheat only the amount you plan to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Burmese e kya kway the same as Chinese youtiao?
They are closely related styles of fried dough, and e kya kway is often compared with Chinese youtiao. Recipes and shapes vary between cooks and places. This version uses the familiar paired-strip shape and a yeast-and-baking-powder dough, but it should not be taken as the only way Burmese cooks make them.
Why did my doughnuts turn out dense?
Common reasons include a dough that was too dry, an abbreviated rise, or oil that was too cool. Measure the water carefully, knead until the dough feels elastic, and give it the full rise so the dough relaxes and puffs. Frying too many pieces at once can also drop the oil temperature and produce a heavier result.
Why do the two strips separate in the oil?
The center join may not have been pressed firmly enough, or the strips may have been stretched apart while being handled. Lightly dampen the middle of one strip, lay the second directly on top, and press firmly along the center before stretching gently from both ends. If they separate anyway, fry the two pieces separately; they will still taste good.
Can I prepare the dough the night before?
This recipe is designed for a same-day rise. A long overnight rise can make a dough with yeast and baking powder overproof or develop a different texture. For a more convenient schedule, mix and knead the dough, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours; allow it to sit at room temperature until pliable before shaping, and expect the overall timing to change.
Can I make e kya kway without a deep fryer?
Yes. Use a deep, sturdy pot and a thermometer, filling it only partway so the oil has room to bubble safely. A broad, shallow skillet is less suitable because it may not hold enough oil depth for the dough to puff evenly. Keep the pot handle turned inward, lower each piece gently, and never leave heating oil unattended.
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
Baking will not give this dough the same crisp, puffed texture as frying, so it is not a close substitute. The paired strips need hot oil to expand and brown evenly. If you want the characteristic e kya kway texture, fry them in small batches and drain them well rather than trying to bake the dough.
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