Sweet potato balls are a traditional snack from the Fujian Fuqing area of China. Their golden color, elastic skin, and delicious stuffing are loved by the locals and outsiders alike, and have long been a favorite dish for family gatherings and reunions.
Sweet potato balls, as the name suggests, are made mainly of sweet potato, but because Fuqing is located on the coast, and is rich in seafood, most of the dishes of this region are seafood-based. So, it’s no accident that my Sweet Potato Balls recipe has a stuffing containing seafood.
Sweet potato balls generally use red heart sweet potato, but the gold sweet potato is equally delicious and produces a milder color. The stuffing is often pork, seaweed, onions, etc., but varies according to personal preferences.
The potato dough is made up mainly of sweet potato flour with a small amount of tapioca flour which produces firm dough suitable for stuffing. The dough is wrapped around the filling and steamed in the steamer.
After the sweet potato balls are cooked, you can eat them on their own or in a soup or hot pot as you would dumplings.
The combination of the gorgeous bright color, shiny skin, and the surprise of the delicious filling make Sweet Potato Balls a scrumptious foodie delight!
Fuqing’s sweet potato balls and Pingtan’s sweet potato balls are similar in that both are based on sweet potato. However, the dough has a different ratio of flours giving them different textures as well as different fillings based on local cultural preferences.
The thinner the sweet potato dough, the bigger the filling is.
Although the dough ingredients vary slightly for Fuqing and Pingtan sweet potato balls, the basic practice of making them is the same, so you can vary the filling to suit yourself.
Ingredients for the Sweet Potato Ball Dough:
- 620 g red heart sweet potatoes
- 250 grams of sweet potato flour
- 50 g of tapioca flour
Ingredients for Filling:
- 300 g pork mince
- 100 g carrots
- 80 g green onion
- 25 g dried seaweed
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon MSG
Ingredients for the Soup:
- a handful of whitebait
- 1 small piece dry kelp
- 1 small leek
- 6 fresh whole shrimp
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon MSG
- 30 g fresh oyster mushrooms
Method
Step 1
Wash the sweet potatoes and cook in the steamer with the skins on.
Step 2
While the sweet potatoes are steaming, chop the green onion, dice the carrot, and cut up the washed dried seaweed with scissors and combine in a bowl with the pork mince.
Step 3
Crack the egg into the bowl.
Step 4
Mix all the ingredients well to combine.
Step 5
Add the sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a little MSG and mix well.
Step 6
Scrape the skins off the steamed sweet potatoes.
Step 7
Mash the sweet potato with a mallet.
Step 8
Add the sweet potato flour and tapioca flour to the mashed potatoes.
Step 9
Mix well into a smooth, firm dough.
Step 10
Divide the dough into roughly 20 g balls, about a tablespoon each.
Step 11
Press the ball flat on your palm into a cup shape.
Step 12
Scoop about half a tablespoon of filling onto the dough and press slightly.
Step 13
Holding the filling down with your left thumb, cup your right hand around the dough and slowly rotate the dough, pulling it up over the filling and pinch together. Roll the dough in your hands to form a nice round ball.
Step 14
Cut some baking paper into squares, and use them to line the bottom of the steamer. Place the sweet potato balls on top of the baking paper and steam for 15 minutes.
Step 15
Make the seafood stock but putting a small amount of water in a pan and add the whitebait, kelp, and leek roots. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 16
Slice the whole leek, separating the leaves from the white part. Chop the mushrooms.
Step 17
Pour a small amount of cooking oil into a clean pan and sauté the white part of the leek.
Step 18
Toss in the mushrooms and stir fry evenly.
Step 19
When the mushrooms are soft, strain the seafood stock into the pan with the leek and mushrooms.
Step 20
When the stock comes to the boil, add the steamed sweet potato balls.
Step 21
Continue to simmer about 5 minutes.
Step 22
Add the leek leaves and shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink.
Step 23
Season with salt, MSG, and pepper.
Step 24
Just before serving, add a handful of chopped leek leaves to the pan.
COOKING TIPS:
- If the sweet potato dough is too dry, you can add a small amount of water. If it is too dry, it is not easy to shape, too wet and it is sticky in your hands and will collapse when steamed.
- Add fillings according to your taste. Experiment with other ingredients!
- Sweet potato balls can be eaten on their own after steaming, or added to soup.
As shown in Figure 4 I have used a simple seafood stock which is fitting for a seafood filling. However, you could also use the big bone soup stock instead.
SUMMARY
Sweet Potato Balls with seafood filling swimming in a sensational soup make a satisfying and nutritious Paleo friendly meal.