Buzz
The ingredients for making sweet potato chips are simple and easy to buy at an affordable price. Instead of buying them outside with concerns about food safety, you can easily make this dish at home. It takes about 1 hour to have fragrant and delicious sweet potato chips to treat everyone or enjoy during leisure time.
Sweet potato chips - a beloved snack by many
Sweet potato is a traditional food of the Vietnamese people. It contains a lot of starch to create a feeling of fullness, it has a natural sweetness and is rich in nutrients, helping to prevent diseases, support weight loss, etc. Sweet potatoes can be prepared in many ways such as boiling, grilling, making sweet soup, baking, making jam, etc.
If you're a fan of sweet potatoes, then you definitely can't miss out on sweet potato nests. This popular snack is loved by many. Sweet potato nests are named for their appearance, resembling silk nests. When fried, they have a lovely golden color, small and cute. With just one bite, you can feel the smooth sweetness of natural sweet potatoes blending with the coconut milk underneath the crispy flour shell, very enticing.
Now, let me share the recipe for making sweet potato nests with everyone!
Preparation time: 60 minutes Serving size: 3-4 people
1. Ingredients for sweet potato nests:
- Sweet potatoes: 500g
- Tapioca flour: 200g (you can substitute with all-purpose flour, cornstarch, or glutinous rice flour depending on the ingredients you have)
- Crispy frying flour: 1 packet (150g)
- Black sesame seeds: 10g (optional, depending on your preference)
- Coconut milk: 100ml
- White sugar: 30g
- Cooking oil
Note on ingredient selection:
Opt for firm, fresh, and intact sweet potatoes. Choose medium-sized ones; small ones lack flavor, while oversized ones tend to be too fibrous.
Avoid purchasing old or shriveled sweet potatoes with blackened spots; they will taste bitter and have an unpleasant odor.
Sweet potatoes can be stored for 7-10 days without processing. You can stock up for the season to make more or prepare other dishes.
Store sweet potatoes in a dry, well-ventilated basket; avoid damp areas as they may sprout. Do not refrigerate as it will spoil them faster.
Ingredients for sweet potato nests
2. Steps to make sweet potato nests:
Step 1: Prepare the sweet potatoes
First, wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and steam or boil until tender.
You can test if the sweet potatoes are cooked by poking them with a fork.
Steaming the sweet potatoes will retain more sweetness
For boiled sweet potatoes, after they're cooked, drain the water and let them dry on the stove for a bit before removing them. This will make them sweeter.
Let the cooked sweet potatoes cool slightly, then peel and dice them into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes
Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth and lump-free.
Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth
Step 2: Mix the sweet potatoes
Gradually mix the mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk, balancing the amount of coconut milk to ensure a smooth, firm consistency without being loose or dry.
Add coconut milk to the mashed sweet potatoes.
Once the sweet potatoes are evenly mixed, add tapioca flour and sugar, kneading the mixture evenly by hand to blend the ingredients together.
Mix the sweet potato mixture thoroughly
Step 3: Shape the sweet potato nests
Prepare a large tray to place the formed sweet potato nests.
Take a small amount of kneaded sweet potato dough, roll it into small nest-shaped balls about the size of a finger, with a length of 2-3 finger joints.
Shape all sweet potato balls to be equal in size. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Forming sweet potato nest shapes
Step 4: Frying the sweet potato nests
Pour crispy frying flour into a bowl, add water and mix well. You can add black sesame seeds if desired.
Prepare the crispy frying flour mixture for frying sweet potato nests
Use a deep pan or pot for frying. Place the pan on the stove, pour in cooking oil to submerge the sweet potato nests.
Once the oil is hot, dip the sweet potato nests into the crispy frying flour quickly and then swiftly drop them into the hot oil. Do this batch by batch until all are fried.
Dip the sweet potato nests into the crispy frying flour
Maintain medium heat while frying; when the outer layer of the sweet potato nests firms up, use chopsticks to continuously flip them to ensure even browning.
Once the sweet potato nests turn golden brown, remove them from the oil and drain on a wire rack to remove excess oil, then transfer them onto a tray lined with absorbent paper.
Frying sweet potato nests
3. Finished Product
Fried sweet potato nests finished product
Once the sweet potato nests are fried, it's best to enjoy them immediately while they're hot because they're most delicious when fresh. If left for too long, the nests' outer shell will become soft instead of crispy like when hot.
The fried sweet potato nests are delightful with their golden brown, crispy outer layer. Inside, the sweet potatoes are soft, chewy, and not overly dry. Fried sweet potato nests should be dry to the touch without excess oil retention.
You can dip the sweet potato nests in tomato sauce or chili sauce to enhance the flavor and prevent monotony, stimulating your taste buds.
4. Storing sweet potato nests
If you can't finish the sweet potato nests, store them in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to eat, you can thaw and fry them again.
If you're making a large batch for later use, consider frying the sweet potato nests twice. The first fry should be brief, resulting in lightly golden nests. Remove them to drain and store in an airtight container. When ready to eat, thaw and fry until golden and crispy.
Let's showcase your culinary skills in the kitchen right away!
Wishing you success with this sweet potato nest dish!
Source: collected by the author
