A Tested Recipe
Deep-Fried Milk (Zha Xian Nai).
A crisp, golden Chinese dessert with a soft milk-custard center. The custard must be cooked until thick and chilled until fully set before breading and frying, so the pieces hold their shape in hot oil.
By jackTao · Jul 15, 2026
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The Mise en Place
Ingredients
Serves 4
Milk Custard
- 250 ml milk
- 30 g cornstarch
- 25 g white sugar
Coating
- 40 g cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten, about 50g without shell
- 80 g breadcrumbs
For Frying and Setting
- 700 ml neutral cooking oil, for deep-frying; actual absorption is much less
- 2 ml neutral cooking oil, for greasing the container
- 1 20 x 15 cm heatproof square container
- 1 sheet kitchen paper, for draining
The Method
Instructions
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
- Step 6
Make the Cornstarch Slurry
- Measure out 80ml of the milk and mix it with the cornstarch until the slurry is smooth with no visible lumps.
- 01
Make the Cornstarch Slurry
- Measure out 80ml of the milk and mix it with the cornstarch until the slurry is smooth with no visible lumps.
- 02
Heat the Sweet Milk
- Pour the remaining 170ml milk and the white sugar into a saucepan.
- Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- 03
Cook the Milk Custard
- Stir the cornstarch slurry again, because the starch settles quickly.
- Slowly pour the slurry into the warm milk while stirring continuously.
- Keep the heat low and stir for about 3 to , until the custard becomes thick and a spatula dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that stays visible for .
- 04
Mold and Chill
- Lightly grease the inside of a 20 x 15 cm heatproof container with about 2ml of cooking oil.
- Pour in the hot custard and smooth the surface so the custard is about 2cm thick.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least , until the surface is no longer sticky and the custard no longer flows when gently pressed.
- 05
Cut and Bread
- Unmold the chilled custard and cut it into about 12 bars, each roughly 6 x 2 x 2 cm.
- Place the flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls.
- Coat each milk bar evenly in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, making sure every side is covered.
- 06
Fry and Serve
- Pour 700ml cooking oil into a pot and heat over medium heat to 165-175°C.
- If you do not have a thermometer, drop in a pinch of breadcrumbs; they should float up within and bubble steadily.
- Fry the milk bars in 2 to 3 batches for 60 to per batch, turning once or twice so all sides cook evenly.
- When the coating is evenly golden, lift the bars out and drain on kitchen paper for about before serving.
Cook's Notes
Notes
This recipe makes about 12 pieces, enough for 3-4 people.
Note Nº 01
Estimated calories: about 1100 kcal for the full batch.
Note Nº 02
The total time includes at least 2 hours of chilling. The active cooking and frying time is about 30 minutes.
Note Nº 03
Cornstarch sinks quickly, so always stir the slurry again right before adding it to the saucepan.
Note Nº 04
Do not crowd the pot. Adding too many milk bars at once drops the oil temperature, which can make the crust greasy or cause the custard to split.
Note Nº 05
The filling is very hot right after frying. Break one piece open and let steam escape before eating.
Note Nº 06
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