Tasty Purple Sweet Potatoes Dishes Recipe
This stir-fried purple sweet potato releases an enticing aroma as it cooks in the pan. Its vibrant color and tender yet crispy texture make each bite a healthy and delicious treat.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Main Ingredients:
Purple Sweet Potato: Provides rich texture and nutrition, the main ingredient.
Additional Ingredients:
Red Bell Pepper: Adds color and a mild spiciness.
Garlic Slices: Enhances aroma and flavor.
Green Onions: Provides a fresh fragrance to balance the overall taste.
Seasoning:
Salt: For basic seasoning, enhances the overall flavor.
Light Soy Sauce: Adds a savory taste, deepens flavor.
Oyster Sauce: Adds a rich umami flavor and fragrance.
Substitutes:
Purple Sweet Potato: Can be substituted with regular sweet potatoes, which have a similar sweetness and texture.
Red Bell Pepper: Can be substituted with green or yellow bell peppers; the taste will differ slightly but the color will be similar.
Garlic Slices: Can be replaced with minced garlic, offering a similar flavor.
Light Soy Sauce: Can be substituted with dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce, offering different color and taste.
Oyster Sauce: Can be substituted with fish sauce or soy sauce, though the flavor will differ.
Rice Wine: Can be substituted with Shaoxing wine or white wine.
Secrets to Success
Even Slices:
Make sure to cut the purple sweet potato into evenly thin slices. This ensures even heat distribution during cooking, preventing some parts from being overcooked or undercooked. Thin slices cook quickly and maintain a tender yet crisp texture.
Oil Temperature Control:
Before frying, make sure the oil is hot, but not too hot. If the oil is too hot, the garlic slices and red bell peppers will burn too quickly, affecting the flavor. Stir-frying on medium heat helps release the vegetables' fragrance and allows the purple sweet potato slices to retain their original flavor.
Partial Cooking of Purple Sweet Potato Slices:
Stir-fry the purple sweet potato slices until they are just tender, but not fully cooked. This helps preserve their texture without making them too mushy. In this semi-cooked state, the natural sweetness of the purple sweet potato becomes more pronounced.
Order of Seasoning:
Add the light soy sauce and oyster sauce when the purple sweet potato slices are partially cooked. This ensures the purple sweet potatoes absorb the flavors of the seasonings evenly. Adding the seasonings too early may cause the purple sweet potatoes to lose their fresh flavor.
Water and Rice Wine Ratio:
The water and rice wine mixture poured into the pan helps the dish absorb flavors faster while adding fragrance and gloss. The rice wine neutralizes the spiciness of the garlic and red bell peppers, enhancing the overall depth of flavor.
Quick Stir-Fry at High Heat:
In the final step, use high heat to quickly stir-fry for a brief moment. This locks in the moisture, keeping the purple sweet potatoes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, enhancing the overall texture.
Is Stir-Fried Purple Sweet Potato Suitable as a Main Dish or Side Dish?
Stir-fried purple sweet potato is perfect as a side dish.
Its sweetness and crispy-soft texture complement main dishes very well, adding depth to the overall meal. For example, it pairs nicely with braised pork or steamed fish, balancing the richness and enhancing the overall flavor profile.
From a nutritional perspective, purple sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates, so pairing them with protein-rich dishes like meat or fish, along with leafy green vegetables, can help balance the meal and ensure a well-rounded intake of essential nutrients.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·250g purple sweet potato
Accessories
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·10g red bell pepper
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·15g garlic slices
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·15g green onions
Seasonings
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·1 tsp salt
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·5ml light soy sauce
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·6g oyster sauce
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·50ml water-rice wine mixture (10:1 ratio)
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Heat the oil, then add 10g of chopped red bell pepper and 15g of garlic slices. Stir-fry evenly.
Step 2
Add the sliced purple sweet potatoes and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes until just tender.
Step 3
Add 1 tsp of salt, 5ml of light soy sauce, and 6g of oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.
Step 4
Pour 50ml of the water-rice wine mixture (in a 10:1 ratio) around the sides of the pan, and add 15g of green onions. Stir to mix evenly.
Step 5
Stir-fry over high heat for a moment, then remove from the pan and serve.
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Recipe Pairings
With Rice or Noodles:
Stir-fried purple sweet potato slices make an excellent side dish and can be paired with white rice, fried rice, or noodles. The natural sweetness of the purple sweet potato, combined with seasonings like salt and oyster sauce, adds a rich texture to simple main dishes.
With Grilled Meat or Fried Chicken:
The sweetness of the purple sweet potato pairs wonderfully with the crispy, savory exterior of grilled meat or fried chicken, creating a perfect contrast. This combination not only adds layers to the dish but also makes the entire plate look more vibrant and appealing.
With Tofu or Boiled Eggs:
For a lighter pairing, serve the purple sweet potato slices with steamed tofu or boiled eggs. The soft, delicate texture of tofu contrasts with the crispiness of the purple sweet potato, and the flavor from the soy sauce and oyster sauce enhances the overall taste.
With Cold Dishes:
Purple sweet potato slices can also be paired with cold dishes, such as cucumber, carrot, or tomato salad. This refreshing combination balances the richness of the stir-fried dish, making the meal feel lighter and healthier.
FAQs:
This thickness ensures even heat distribution during frying and helps maintain the natural flavor and nutrients of the purple sweet potato. Slices that are too thick might not crisp up well, and slices that are too thin can burn too easily.
When adding vegetables, make sure they are cut to the appropriate size to match the cooking time of the purple sweet potato slices, ensuring the vegetables are neither overcooked nor undercooked, which could affect the overall texture. Adding vegetables not only enhances flavor but also boosts the dish's nutritional value.
It works in harmony with other seasonings like salt, soy sauce, and oyster sauce to create a more complex taste. Additionally, the evaporation of the rice wine helps the seasonings penetrate the ingredients better and promotes a tender texture.
High heat at the end allows for a quick stir-fry, enhancing the aroma and helping the seasonings penetrate the ingredients for a fuller flavor. This balance in heat control helps the dish maintain a crispy exterior and tender interior, while also enhancing the overall flavor and texture.