Candied Sweet Potatoes
A Zhejiang dish with a golden color, crispy outside and soft inside, and a sweet flavor.
Ingredients
red-fleshed sweet potatoes
500g
roasted sesame seeds
25g
vegetable oil
500g (actually uses 60g)
granulated sugar
150g
water
100g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into rolling-cut chunks. Deep-fry in oil heated to about 70% hot until pale yellow. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, remove and set aside.
2
Step 2
Place the wok over the heat, add 100g of water, and bring to a boil. Add the granulated sugar and stir constantly with a ladle. When the sugar reaches the "flowering" stage (the sugar color should be a pale yellow), add the fried sweet potato chunks and toss quickly so the sugar flowers coat the sweet potatoes evenly. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the sweet potatoes and immediately transfer to a serving plate that has been coated with oil beforehand to prevent sticking. Bring it to the diners right away. Serve with a bowl of cold water alongside so diners can dip their chopsticks in the water before eating. After dipping, the sugar coating on the sweet potatoes resembles that of candied hawthorn (tanghulu), and the water also lowers the temperature of the sugar so it does not burn the mouth.
