Two-Colour Sweet Potato Balls

Why people make this dish

Sweet potato is one of the most humble and overlooked health foods around — gentle, filling, and naturally rich in potassium. With a free afternoon and the urge to make something sweet and cheerful, Nourilo steamed up pale yellow and deep purple sweet potato and turned them into these bouncy little balls. As he puts it: sweets are fine in moderation, and when your dessert is also something genuinely nutritious, that is a reason to enjoy it without guilt. Sweet potato (fan shu, also called di gua in many parts of China) is widely available at Asian grocers and well worth keeping in your kitchen.

Method

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and steam until fully cooked (about 15 minutes). Mash each colour separately into a smooth paste while still warm.
2. Add 1.5 teaspoons of sugar to each portion of mashed potato and mix well.
3. Sift the cornstarch and sweet potato starch together to remove any lumps. Add a little hot water gradually and knead into a smooth, slightly warm dough. Divide the dough into two portions.
4. Combine each dough portion with one colour of sweet potato mash. Knead thoroughly until the mixture becomes smooth, pliable and springy — the more you knead, the chewier the result.
5. Roll each colour into a long rope, then cut into small bite-sized pieces.
6. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the sweet potato balls and cook for about 2 minutes, until they float to the surface.
7. Scoop out immediately, drain, and serve in warm ginger syrup.

Nourilo’s Tips

The secret to a good di gua yuan is in the kneading — the more you work the dough, the softer and chewier the balls will be. Both hot and cold servings taste good. The “sweet potato starch” called for here is most likely cassava starch (mu shu fen), which is the same as tapioca starch — widely available in Asian grocery stores. Serve them in warm ginger syrup for a wonderfully comforting bowl.