Fried sweet potato cakes
Fried sweet potato cakes are a homey Vietnamese snack with a crisp golden crust covered in toasted sesame seeds and a soft, chewy, sweet and nutty potato center. The sweet potatoes are steamed, mashed until smooth and kneaded with glutinous rice flour, so the cakes stay pleasantly chewy even after they cool. They come together quickly with easy-to-find ingredients, and kids love them.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rising or chilling
- 15 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 25 min
- Method
- Fried
Ingredients
Sweet potato dough
Sesame coating
Frying oil
Instructions
Step 1
Peel 400 g sweet potatoes, cut them into chunks about three centimeters thick and steam over high heat for about 20 minutes. Steaming cooks the potatoes until fluffy without making them waterlogged, so the dough won't turn mushy. They are done when a chopstick slides through easily and the flesh has turned a deep yellow.
Step 2
While the potatoes are still hot, mash them with 50 g granulated sugar and a pinch salt until very smooth, then gradually add 180 g glutinous rice flour and 40 g tapioca starch and knead until even. Kneading while the potatoes are warm helps the sugar dissolve and the dough hold together well. The dough is ready when it is soft, supple and smooth and no longer sticks to your hands; if it is still sticky, sprinkle in a little more glutinous rice flour.
Step 3
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Resting lets the moisture from the potatoes spread evenly through the dough, so the edges won't crack when you shape it. It is ready when it feels soft and smooth and a fingertip dent slowly springs back.
Step 4
Divide the dough into balls the size of a small lime, roll them round and press them into patties about one centimeter thick, then dip them in water and roll them evenly in 40 g white sesame seeds. Flat patties cook quickly from the crust to the center, and the water helps the sesame seeds stick. The cakes are ready when they are evenly covered in sesame and the edges have no cracks.
Step 5
Heat the to taste oil in a deep pan until a sesame seed dropped in sizzles steadily, then fry the cakes in batches over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning them a few times. Medium heat lets the crust turn crisp and golden while the center has time to cook through and turn chewy. They are done when they float to the surface, puff up slightly and the sesame seeds turn golden brown.
Step 6
Lift the cakes out onto a strainer or paper towels and let them rest for about three minutes before eating. The rest lets the excess oil drain off and the crust crisp up again. They are ready when the surface is dry, they sound crisp when tapped and the center is chewy and slightly stretchy when you bite in.
Equipment
- Steamer
- Deep skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap
Tips
- Honey-sweet or yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes give the sweetest flavor and the prettiest color, while drier, starchier potatoes need less flour.
- For an extra treat, tuck a little mung bean paste or sweetened coconut into the middle of each ball.
- Don't fry over high heat, or the crust will burn before the glutinous rice center has a chance to cook.
Storage
These cakes are best eaten hot. You can keep fried cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for one to two days, then reheat them in an air fryer or an oven at 180°C for about five minutes to crisp them up again.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The cakes burst and spatter oil while frying.
- There were air pockets in the dough or the oil was too hot. Roll the balls very firmly, press them flat evenly and turn the heat down to medium.
- The cakes are greasy and limp.
- The oil wasn't hot enough when the cakes went in, or too many were fried at once. Wait until the oil is fully hot and fry in small batches so the oil temperature doesn't drop.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
