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1
Dissolve the belacan in 1 teaspoon of water, then combine with the white pepper and salt, so the paste is dilute enough to coat every surface of the squid rather than sitting in concentrated patches. Toss the squid rings and tentacles in the marinade and leave for exactly 15 minutes — no longer, as prolonged contact with belacan drives the flavour into an aggressively fishy register that overwhelms the squid's own sweetness. The pieces are ready when they are evenly coated and feel slightly tacky to the touch.
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2
Combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, and wheat flour, then add the very cold sparkling water and whisk to a thin, smooth batter, so the gas bubbles in the water are still alive and will open the crust as it fries. Keep the batter cold — set the bowl over ice if the kitchen is warm — because a warm batter thickens and clings too heavily, smothering rather than lacing the squid. The batter is correct when it falls from the whisk in a thin, continuous ribbon without clumping.
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3
Heat the oil to 180 °C in a deep pan, confirmed with a probe thermometer; a small drop of batter should sizzle sharply and rise to the surface at once. This is where the dish lives or dies: at the correct temperature the batter exterior sets the moment it meets the oil, trapping the steam inside and producing the lightness the dish depends on, whereas below temperature the batter simply drinks the oil and never crisps. Do not begin frying until the thermometer reads a steady 180 °C.
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4
Working in small batches, dust each piece of squid lightly in the plain rice flour and shake off the excess — this dry layer gives the wet batter something to grip — then dip in the batter and lower carefully into the oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes per batch; a crowded pan drops the oil temperature so that the batter absorbs oil before it can set, turning the crust soft and greasy. The pieces are ready when the batter is pale gold and sounds hollow when tapped with a slotted spoon.
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5
Lift the fritters from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer immediately to a wire rack, not paper towels, so steam escapes freely beneath the fritters rather than softening the base from below. Allow the oil to return fully to 180 °C before each subsequent batch, so the temperature is consistent from first to last. The fritters are correctly rested when they remain audibly crisp for at least two minutes on the rack.
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6
Serve immediately with sambal berlado or cincalok condiment. The batter should shatter lightly on the bite, giving way to tender squid with a low, savoury belacan-umami depth in the meat.