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Quick and Easy: Purple Sweet Potato in the Air Fryer

EASY3 INGREDIENTS7STEP50 MIN·
Posted: 01/09/2025
Xiao yang
BY Xiao yang
Posted: 01/09/2025

Quick and Easy: Purple Sweet Potato in the Air Fryer

Whether as the main food for breakfast or a small snack for afternoon tea, air fryer purple sweet potatoes can handle both roles. Purple sweet potatoes complete a delicious transformation in the air fryer.

15
SERVINGS
3
INGREDIENTS
7
STEP
50 min
TOTAL TIME

Required raw materials and substitutes

Main ingredients:

Purple sweet potato: The main ingredient that provides sweetness and a soft texture.

Accessories:

Glutinous rice flour: Increases stickiness and helps the dough take shape.

Cooking oil: Used for surface spraying to increase color and taste.

Substitutes:

Purple sweet potato: Can be replaced by sweet potato. The sweetness is similar but the color and texture are slightly different.

Glutinous rice flour: Can be replaced by wheat starch, but the finished product will have a softer and more glutinous texture.

Purple sweet potato air fryer

Secrets to success

Purple sweet potato processing: When steaming purple sweet potatoes, make sure to steam them thoroughly. Only in this way can the mashed purple sweet potato be fine. Moreover, it should be mashed while it is still hot. Otherwise, once the purple sweet potato dries, it will be difficult to mash evenly. When mashing, it must be done carefully without leaving any particles. Only then can the purple sweet potato product have a good taste.

Dough preparation: The ratio of glutinous rice flour to purple sweet potato is more appropriate as 30 grams of glutinous rice flour for 300 grams of purple sweet potato. Knead the dough fully until it is smooth and resilient. If the dough is too dry, add a small amount of warm water.

Shaping skills: The size of the divided purple sweet potato dough should be uniform, and the thickness should also be moderate. If it is too thick, it is easy to be charred on the outside and raw on the inside. If it is too thin, it is easy to be overbaked. The surface must also be pressed flat to ensure even heating.

Baking points: The air fryer should be preheated in advance. Spray oil evenly to prevent sticking. Remember to turn over during baking to make both sides golden. Pay attention to observing the color during the process to prevent overbaking.

Other precautions: Lay the silicone paper flat. Leave an appropriate gap when placing the finished products. Let it cool before eating after baking for a better taste.

Why is it necessary to spray cooking oil?

Spraying cooking oil mainly has three functions.

First of all, it can prevent the dough from sticking to the pan and make the food heated more evenly. The baked surface will show a beautiful golden color. Secondly, it can maintain the moisture of the dough, so that the outer layer will not be too dry during baking and the inside can be fully cooked. Finally, it can make the finished product taste better. The outer skin will be relatively crispy and the inside will remain soft.

If you choose oil, it is recommended to use corn oil or sunflower seed oil. These oils have a relatively high smoke point and are suitable for high-temperature baking. Spraying is better than brushing. The oil can evenly cover every place.

Which one is more suitable, an air fryer or an oven?

The air fryer is more suitable. Its heat distribution is more uniform. When baking, all parts of the food can be heated evenly, and there will be no problem that the outside is cooked while the inside is still raw.

The temperature of the air fryer is also better controlled. It preheats quickly and consumes less electricity. Although its capacity is smaller than that of an oven, it is sufficient for an average family. In addition, when using an air fryer, you can see the state of the food at any time. When it needs to be turned over or adjusted, it is also very convenient and it is not easy to break the food.

For an oven, there may be uneven temperatures at the top and bottom. Moreover, it takes a long time to preheat. It is not so flexible to use.

INGREDIENTS

Main Ingredients

  • ·
    300g purple sweet potato

Accessories

  • ·
    30g glutinous rice flour
  • ·
    5ml cooking oil

COOKING STEP

HIDE IMAGES

Step 1

Prepare 300g steamed purple sweet potatoes and mash them into a fine paste.

Prepare paste

Step 2

Add 30g glutinous rice flour, stir evenly and then knead into a smooth dough.

Add flour & knead

Step 3

Take a small piece of dough by hand, knead it into a round ball and then press it into a small square piece.

Shape pieces

Step 4

Lay a piece of silicone paper on the bottom of the air fryer and spray 5ml cooking oil.

Prepare fryer

Step 5

Put the shaped purple sweet potato pieces into the air fryer and place them evenly.

Put in fryer

Step 6

Set the air fryer temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes, turning over once halfway.

Bake & turn

Step 7

Take out after baking until the surface is slightly golden, and it can be enjoyed after cooling slightly.

Take out & enjoy

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Recipe variations

Add coconut milk: Putting some coconut milk in the purple sweet potato puree can make the purple sweet potato chunks become more smooth and tender and have the fragrance of coconuts.

Add spices: A little cinnamon powder or vanilla extract can be added to give the purple sweet potato some special aroma.

Replace with other vegetables: They can be replaced with sweet potatoes, pumpkins or carrots. These are all very good and can make different colors and flavors.

Coat with sesame seeds: Sprinkling white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds on the outside of the purple sweet potato chunks and then baking will make the outside very crispy.

Consumption suggestions

Suitable as breakfast:

Purple sweet potato chunks can be paired with whole wheat bread or sugar-free oatmeal to provide sufficient energy and dietary fiber. It is a healthy and nutritious breakfast choice.

As an afternoon tea snack:

Eat purple sweet potato chunks with green tea or scented tea. The tea fragrance and the sweetness of purple sweet potatoes set off each other, suitable for a relaxing and pleasant afternoon tea time.

Eaten after refrigeration:

If the weather is hot, you can refrigerate the purple sweet potato chunks before eating. The cool taste will be more refreshing and is especially suitable for enjoyment in summer.

Paired with yogurt or cream:

Purple sweet potato chunks can be eaten with yogurt or light cream to increase the layering of milk fragrance. It is suitable as a healthy little dessert, which is delicious and not greasy.

FAQs:

Q
Is water needed when mashing purple sweet potato puree?
A
No water is needed. Steamed purple sweet potatoes themselves have sufficient moisture. Directly mashing them can achieve a delicate puree.
If the purple sweet potato is relatively dry, the steaming time can be appropriately extended to allow moisture to penetrate more fully into the purple sweet potato. Adding water will destroy the taste of the purple sweet potato puree and also affect the stickiness of the dough when kneading later, resulting in a product that is not firm enough.
Q
How can we avoid the deformation of purple sweet potato chunks?
A
Put the kneaded purple sweet potato chunks in the refrigerator and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Taking them out and directly putting them into the pot is relatively safe. The air fryer must be preheated in advance so that the purple sweet potato chunks can quickly take shape as soon as they are put in. When flipping them over, be gentle and quick. Use a spatula to flip them over at one time so that they will not be deformed due to repeated handling.
Q
Can the baking time be adjusted?
A
The baking time is recommended to be adjusted between 12 and 18 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the purple sweet potato chunks. Generally, when making this small snack, if the purple sweet potato chunks are pressed into a size of 2 centimeters square and 1 centimeter thick, they can be baked in 12 minutes, and the surface will show a beautiful golden color.
Q
Why is it necessary to flip over halfway?
A
The main purpose of flipping over is to make the purple sweet potato chunks heat up more evenly and form a beautiful crust. Although the air fryer has 360-degree hot air circulation, there is still a difference in the heating degree between the bottom and the top. If not flipped over, it is easy to have one side golden and one side white.
Flipping over once at 7-8 minutes is the most appropriate. This way, it can not only keep the shape of the purple sweet potato chunks intact, but also form a uniform golden color on the surface, and the taste will be more crispy and moderately soft.
2

REVIEWS

Your Rating:
Joseph
Joseph January 11, 2025

Can I halve the ingredients? I want to make a smaller portion.
Chinarecipes REPLY:
Absolutely! You can adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your needs, just keep the proportions the same.
Jessica
Jessica January 12, 2025

The result was simply amazing! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside—perfection!
Chinarecipes REPLY:
Thanks a lot! Getting that crispy exterior and soft interior is key, and I’m so happy you nailed it!

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