A humble Peruvian fry that wins you over with texture before anything else. The thin dough blisters in the oil, turns golden at the edges, and carries a gentle anise aroma beneath a light drizzle of honey. It is hard to lift one from the pan without someone already claiming the next.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Mix the flour, sugar, anise seeds, baking powder, and salt. Work in the softened butter and egg, then add the water gradually as the dough comes together. Knead for 5 to 6 minutes, until it is smooth, flexible, and slightly moist but no longer sticks to your hands.
Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes. By the end, it should feel more relaxed and stretch easily; this short rest is enough to keep it from springing back every time you roll it.
Divide the dough into 6 portions and shape them into balls. Roll each one into a thin disk about 2 to 3 mm thick, keeping the thickness even. Perfect circles do not matter; what matters is avoiding thick spots that would stay doughy when fried.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. It is ready when a small scrap of dough rises immediately surrounded by bubbles without darkening at once. Fry the cachangas one at a time for 1 to 1½ minutes per side, until blistered in places, golden, and crisp around the edges; if they brown before puffing, lower the heat slightly. Drain them on paper towels as soon as they come out.
Transfer the cachangas to a platter and drizzle the honey over them in thin streams while they are still hot, without soaking them. If they crackle when torn yet keep a slightly chewy center and the anise comes through after the first bite, they are right on point. Done! Put them in the middle of the table and see how long they last. 😌
