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Sweet potato balls
Dì guā qiú (地瓜球): hollow, chewy fried balls of sweet potato and tapioca
Queue at almost any Taiwanese night market, from Shilin in Taipei to Tainan's Flower Market, and you'll see a vendor pressing a basket of golden balls against the bottom of a wok again and again until they swell up like ping-pong balls. That pressing is the trick: it pushes out air and stretches the tapioca dough, so each ball turns hollow, with a thin, crackly shell and a bouncy, chewy wall. They come in a paper bag, sometimes dusted with plum powder. The big mistake is dropping them into hot oil, which sets the crust before they can expand, so they stay small and solid; start them in warm oil. Chef's tip: steam the sweet potato rather than boiling it, as wet mash makes a sticky dough that never puffs.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz yellow or orange sweet potatoespeeled and sliced
- 5 ½ oz tapioca starchplus extra for dusting
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp wateronly if needed
For frying
- 1 litre vegetable oilfor deep-frying
To serve
- 1 tsp plum powder (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Steam 10 ½ oz yellow or orange sweet potatoes over boiling water for 15 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
15 minStep 2: Mash it smoothly while hot and stir in 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar until dissolved. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, until warm but comfortable to handle.
5 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz tapioca starch and knead into a smooth, soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands, adding 2 tbsp water a teaspoon at a time only if it's crumbly, or a little more starch if it's tacky.
Step 4: Roll into balls the size of a large marble, about 2.5 cm, and set them on a starch-dusted tray. They puff to three times this size.
Step 5: Pour 1 litre vegetable oil into a wok or deep pan and warm it to only 140–300°F. Slide in about 12 balls and stir gently for 2 minutes, until they float.
2 minStep 6: Keep the heat at medium. Press the balls down against the bottom of the pan with a slotted spoon or ladle, hold for a second, release and repeat, for 5–6 minutes. They will steadily inflate and turn hollow. Keep your face back; stray drops can spit.
6 minStep 7: Raise the heat to 350°F and fry for 1–2 more minutes, until crisp and deep golden.
2 minStep 8: Drain on a rack, fry the rest the same way and serve hot, sprinkled with 1 tsp plum powder if you like. They lose their crispness within half an hour.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 59 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sweet potato balls take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of yellow or orange sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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