Summer Recipe- Taiwanese Special Taro Balls

In speaking of Taiwanese food, the first two options come to mind is taro balls and Taiwanese fried chicken, followed by Lu Rou Fan and Taiwanese beef noodles soup and grassy jelly. Those dishes and desserts are quite easy to find in Mainland China with very authentic taste. Although called as taro balls, those small balls might be made from trao and sweet potato. Making them at home are quite easy and funny. In summer, we always serve those chewy balls with a chilled sweetened sweet beans, tofu pudding or grass jelly. But in winter days, they are also good in warm syrup soups.

Ingredients

200g peeled taro
70g to 90g sweet potato starch or tapioca starch
3 tbsp. sugar if needed (optional)
water as needed, for adjusting

Method

* Cut the potatoes and taro into small cubes and then steam with high fire for 20 to 30 minutes until soft.

* Smash taro well, mix in sugar when the taro is still hot. Add sweet potato starch in. Knead to form a soft ball, add water if needed. Add more flour is your mixture is too wet and more water if the mixture is too dry.

* Then divide the dough into 4 equal portions, shape each one into thin long log (around 1.5cm in diameter). Then cut into small dices. Dust some corn flour or sweet potato starch to avoid them from sticky together.

* Bring a pot of water to a boiling, and then gently lower the balls in. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water when the taro balls floats. Then continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.

* In the meantime, add 2 slices of ginger and 1 pieces of brown sugar to a small pot of water. Bring to a boiling.Scoop the syrup water in serving bowl and transfer the taro balls out once cooked.