How do you make Candied Milk Curd? First, let's understand what "candied" means and what milk curd is. "Candied" refers to a method of preparing sweet dishes, while milk curd—also known as cheese—is made by coagulating and fermenting various milks like cow, goat, or mare's milk into a substance resembling tofu in appearance. Candied Milk Curd is a dish with Inner Mongolian flavors that has now gained popularity nationwide.
You don't need to travel to Inner Mongolia to enjoy this dish—simply gather the ingredients and prepare it yourself. Candied milk curd is exceptionally nourishing, rich in protein and essential trace elements our bodies require.
The "candied" process sounds straightforward: it involves coating ingredients in a syrupy sugar glaze, creating a delightfully sticky texture.There are two main methods for pulling threads: water-stirred sugar and oil-stirred sugar. Both require skill. However, coating the fried ingredients with syrup demands precision. If the sugar is added too early, the threads won't form; if too late, it becomes burnt and bitter, affecting both taste and appearance. The ideal result is a golden hue with fine threads that can be stretched 2-3 meters without breaking.
Candied Milk Curd falls under the broader category of candied dishes. This cooking technique can be applied to various foods like apples, bananas, ice cream, and today's featured item: candied milk curd.
Ingredients:
Milk curd cut into small pieces, sugar (for caramelizing), flour, egg white (for coating), oil
Preparation:
1. Before frying the milk curd, coat it thoroughly with a mixture of egg white and flour. This step is called battering.
2. When the oil reaches medium-high heat (about 70% hot), carefully add the battered milk curd and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain.
3. Caramelize the sugar syrup—this crucial step determines whether your candied milk curd will form long, durable threads. Heat a small amount of clean oil in a pan over medium heat. Add granulated sugar and stir constantly with a spoon to ensure even heating. Fry until the sugar turns light yellow and the bubbles enlarge. Remove the pan from the heat to reduce the bubbles and deepen the color.When the syrup forms a continuous thread when drizzled from the spoon, quickly add the fried milk curds and toss to coat evenly. Note: The sugar quantity should be one-third the volume of the ingredients.
Important: The ingredients must be hot when added to the syrup. If they are cool, the syrup will solidify, preventing the formation of threads.Therefore, when making candied dishes, use two woks: one for the sugar syrup and one for the main ingredient. This maintains the ingredient's temperature for even coating. Tip for Candied Milk Curd: Avoid high heat when making candied dishes to prevent the syrup from burning and carbonizing, which creates a bitter taste.
Earlier we introduced what pulled-thread milk curd is. As a classic preparation of milk curd, it's a specialty of Inner Mongolia. With the right ingredients, anyone can make it at home. The recipe provided above should help everyone master this dish.