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Khoai lang kén (sweet potato cocoons)
Sweet potato fritters
Khoai lang kén: mashed sweet potato logs rolled in shredded sweet potato and fried crisp
Hồ Chí Minh City street carts fry these little 'cocoons' in big woks, and on rainy evenings a paper bag of them, still too hot to hold, is a favourite with students and children. The inside is soft, sweet mashed sweet potato bound with a little rice flour; the outside is a shaggy, crunchy coat of fine sweet-potato threads that looks like a silkworm's cocoon. Eat them plain, or dip in sweetened condensed coconut milk. Chef's tip: squeeze the shredded sweet potato dry and keep the oil at 170 °C; wet shreds and cool oil give greasy, limp cocoons.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ⅛ lb sweet potatoesyellow or orange-fleshed, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 ¾ oz glutinous rice flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Coating
- 10 ½ oz sweet potatopeeled and cut into very fine matchsticks (2 mm)
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 litre neutral oilfor deep frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Steam 1 ⅛ lb sweet potatoes for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance. Mash smoothly while hot.
18 minStep 2: Mix in 1 ¾ oz glutinous rice flour, 2 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt and knead into a soft dough that no longer sticks to your hands; add a little more flour if it does.
3 minStep 3: Rinse 10 ½ oz sweet potato in cold water, then squeeze out as much water as you can and pat it dry in a cloth. Toss with 2 tbsp tapioca starch.
5 minStep 4: Roll tablespoons of dough into logs 6 cm long, then roll each firmly in the shreds, pressing so they cling all over.
10 minStep 5: Heat 1 litre neutral oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F (a shred dropped in fizzes at once). Fry 5–6 cocoons at a time, turning, for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crisp, and lift out onto a rack.
15 minStep 6: Let them cool for 3 minutes so the coating firms up, then serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khoai lang kén (sweet potato cocoons) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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