Crispy Lotus Root Balls
A sweet and sour snack made by combining pumpkin purée with flour to form balls, then deep-frying and tossing them in a sweet and sour sauce.
Ingredients
Pumpkin (peeled, deseeded, cut into chunks, steamed and drained)
250 g
Flour
to taste
Sugar
to taste
Salt
to taste
Aromatic vinegar
2 tsp
Fine salt
1 tsp
White sugar
3 tbsp
Cooking oil (for deep frying)
50 g
Instructions
1
Make the dough
Wash the pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds, and cut it into chunks. Steam until cooked, then drain off any water. Add flour, sugar, and salt, and knead until it forms a dough.
2
Fry the balls
Heat oil in a wok to about 70% hot. Squeeze the pumpkin dough by hand into quail-egg-sized balls, drop them into the oil, and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain.
3
Coat with sweet and sour sauce
Leave a thin layer of oil in the wok, add a little water, white sugar, and salt, then thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Drizzle in the aromatic vinegar, add the fried pumpkin balls, and toss quickly until evenly coated.
