Chinese Egg Waffles (Hong Kong Gai Daan Jai)

Name: Chinese Egg Waffles (Hong Kong Gai Daan Jai)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: 3 large (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature, cracked into the bowl (about 50 g each without shell); ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 0.38 cup (90 ml) evaporated milk, at room temperature, shaken before opening; ½ cup (120 ml) water, cool or room temperature; 2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral vegetable oil, plus about 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra for brushing the iron; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed; ½ cup (60 g) tapioca starch; 1 tbsp (8 g) custard powder (optional); 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp-shelled, tender-centered bubble waffles from Hong Kong street stalls, made with a rich eggy batter that gets its chew and crackle from tapioca starch and its mellow, creamy flavor from evaporated milk. Eat them warm, torn off bubble by bubble.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 23 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 58 min
Makes: 6 egg waffles (about 6 inches / 15 cm each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 large (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature, cracked into the bowl (about 50 g each without shell)
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (90 ml) evaporated milk, at room temperature, shaken before opening
½ cup (120 ml) water, cool or room temperature
2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral vegetable oil, plus about 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra for brushing the iron
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed
½ cup (60 g) tapioca starch
1 tbsp (8 g) custard powder (optional)
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt

Equipment (9)

Electric egg waffle (bubble waffle) iron, about 6-inch (15 cm) round, or a stovetop one
Large mixing bowl (3-quart / 3 L)
Whisk
Fine-mesh sieve
Liquid measuring cup or ladle (½ cup / 120 ml)
Pastry brush
Wire cooling rack
Heat-safe silicone or wooden tongs/spatula
Kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

You need an egg waffle (bubble waffle) iron. A regular flat or Belgian waffle iron will not produce the bubbles.
Take the eggs and evaporated milk out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead so the batter mixes smoothly.
The batter rests 15 minutes. Plug in and preheat the iron during that time.
Have a wire rack ready. Waffles must cool upright or curled on a rack, never stacked or on a plate, or they turn soft.

1
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the 3 eggs and 100 g (½ cup) sugar vigorously for about 1 minute until the sugar mostly dissolves and the mixture looks pale yellow and slightly frothy.
- Whisk in the evaporated milk, water, 2 tbsp (28 ml) oil and the vanilla until completely smooth.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform, pale yellow, with no streaks of egg white and only a few grains of sugar left.
Tip: Cold eggs and milk make the oil clump, so use room-temperature ingredients.
2
Sift in dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, tapioca starch, custard powder (if using), baking powder and salt.
- Sift this over the wet mixture in two additions, whisking gently after each, just until no dry pockets remain.
- The batter should be thin and pourable, like heavy cream.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth, lump-free and falls from the whisk in a thin ribbon.
Tip: Sifting is worth the effort: tapioca starch clumps easily and lumps leave pale, gummy spots in the waffle.
3
Rest batter, preheat iron
- Cover the bowl and let the batter rest 15 minutes at room temperature so the starches hydrate and the bubbles settle.
- During this time, plug in the egg waffle iron and preheat it for 5 to 8 minutes, or until its indicator light shows it is ready.
- If using a stovetop iron, heat both sides over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
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Ready when: Iron is fully hot; a drop of water flicked onto it sizzles instantly.
Tip: Give the batter a gentle stir before each pour, as starch settles to the bottom.
4
Grease and fill iron
- Open the hot iron and brush both plates, including inside every bubble cavity, lightly with oil (about 1 tsp / 5 ml per waffle).
- Stir the batter, then pour about ½ cup (120 ml) onto the center of the lower plate, filling the cavities just to the rim without overflowing.
- Close the lid right away.
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Ready when: Batter fills each cavity level with the surface and does not pool on the edges.
Tip: Overfilling makes the waffle fuse into a thick slab and leak out. Start with less and add more to the next one if the corners come out bare.
5
Cook first waffle
- Cook for 2½ to 3½ minutes for an electric iron (flip a stovetop iron every 1 to 1½ minutes).
- Peek only after about 2½ minutes; opening too early tears the waffle apart.
- If it resists when you gently lift the lid, cook 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Waffle is golden brown, the lid lifts easily, steam slows, and the bubbles feel firm and spring back when pressed.
Tip: The first waffle is a test. Adjust time up or down by 30 seconds to get your preferred color.
6
Release and crisp
- Use heat-safe tongs or a silicone spatula to lift the waffle out.
- Immediately stand it on a wire rack, or curl it into a cone or fold it in half over a rolling pin, and let it cool for about 2 minutes.
- The shell crisps as steam escapes.
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Ready when: Waffle feels dry and crackly on the outside and holds its shape when lifted.
Tip: Don't stack or cover warm waffles; trapped steam makes them soggy.
7
Cook remaining batchesOven 200°F / 95°C
- Re-grease the iron lightly, stir the batter and repeat to make 5 more waffles, about 4 minutes each including loading and removing.
- Keep finished waffles in a single layer on the rack.
- To keep them warm and crisp, set the rack on a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven.
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Ready when: All waffles are evenly golden brown with crisp bubbles; cooked batter is no longer wet or eggy in the center.
Tip: If waffles start sticking, the iron has lost its oil; brush on a thin coat again.
8
Serve
- Serve the waffles warm within 10 minutes of cooking, torn into individual bubbles or folded into a cone.
- Eat plain, or with fresh fruit, whipped cream, ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
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Ready when: Bubbles shatter lightly when bitten and the inside is soft and chewy.

Good to know

Tips

Tapioca starch is the key to the signature crisp-chewy texture; don't skip it.
Opening the iron too soon is the most common cause of torn waffles. Wait until steam slows and the lid lifts easily.
A thin batter makes a hollow, crisp bubble. If yours is thick and pasty, whisk in 1 to 2 tbsp water.
Cool waffles upright on a rack, not on a plate, so the bottoms don't steam and soften.

Make ahead

"The batter can be mixed (through step 2), covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature for 20 minutes and stir well before using. Cooked waffles are best fresh but can be re-crisped (see storage)."

Storage & reheating

Best eaten within 15 minutes of cooking. Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day (they will soften). Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months, layered with parchment. Reheat from fridge or frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven or toaster oven for 4 to 6 minutes directly on the rack until crisp and hot throughout.

Substitutions

evaporated milk → whole milk. Use 90 ml whole milk; the waffle will be a little less rich and caramelized in flavor.
tapioca starch → cornstarch. Gives a crisp shell but less chew and bounce than tapioca.
custard powder → additional all-purpose flour. Omit the custard powder; use 1 tbsp (8 g) extra flour. Color will be paler and flavor slightly less custardy.
neutral vegetable oil → melted unsalted butter. Gives a richer flavor in the batter; keep neutral oil for brushing the iron since butter browns and sticks.