Easy Purple Sweet Potatoes Air Fryer Recipe
An air fryer is a fantastic option for cooking purple sweet potatoes, allowing you to enjoy their natural sweetness and soft texture without adding too much oil.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Main Ingredient:
Purple Sweet Potatoes: These provide natural sweetness and a soft, smooth texture, making them the core ingredient.
Additional Ingredients:
Cornstarch: Helps thicken and bind the mixture together.
Milk: Adds moisture and a creamy flavor to the mashed sweet potatoes.
Seasonings:
Sugar: Adjust to taste to enhance sweetness and flavor.
Substitutes:
Purple Sweet Potatoes: You can use regular sweet potatoes as a substitute, as they have a similar sweetness and texture.
Sugar: Honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup can replace sugar, offering slightly different sweetness and flavor.
Cornstarch: Tapioca starch can be used instead, providing similar results.
Milk: Coconut milk or almond milk can replace regular milk for a different flavor profile.
Soak or Not to Soak?
No need to soak the sweet potatoes. When making purple sweet potato balls, the sweet potatoes are steamed and then combined with milk to adjust the texture. The consistency of the dough depends on the amount of milk you use.
If the dough feels too dry, add a bit more milk, but be careful not to overdo it, as the dough can become too soft. Soaking the sweet potatoes beforehand could affect the final texture, as the goal is to form a golden, crispy outer layer during air frying.
Keep an eye on the baking process, and adjust the temperature and time based on the size of the balls, aiming for a lightly golden crust.
Air Fryer vs. Deep Frying
The air fryer is a healthier option compared to deep frying, as it uses very little oil and eliminates the mess of splattering oil and smoke.
The air fryer works by rapidly circulating hot air around the food, creating a thin, crispy outer layer while keeping the inside soft. While the texture of air-fried purple sweet potato balls may be slightly drier than deep-fried ones, they are much lower in calories.
Air frying also takes a bit longer—about 13 minutes compared to the 5-6 minutes of deep frying—but the advantage is you don’t have to keep a close watch, and you avoid the hassle of frying in oil.
Success Tips
Steam the Purple Sweet Potatoes Evenly: Ensure the sweet potatoes are thoroughly cooked. You can check by inserting a fork. If they’re undercooked, the mashed sweet potatoes will be grainy and affect the texture. Cutting the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces helps them cook more evenly.
Keep the Mashed Sweet Potatoes Moist: When adding milk, do it in small amounts, stirring until the mixture is smooth and no longer sticky. The right level of moisture ensures the mashed potatoes don’t crack and gives the dough a fine texture.
Watch the Stickiness of the Dough: The milk should be added in the right amount—neither too wet nor too dry. If the dough is too wet, you can add some cornstarch to adjust. If it’s too dry, add more milk gradually.
Ensure Even Sized Balls: To ensure even cooking, try to make the balls roughly the same size. If they vary too much, some might be undercooked while others become overcooked.
Adjust Air Fryer Temperature and Time: Air fryer settings may need tweaking. 180°C for 13 minutes works for most cases, but if you find that the balls are not turning golden enough, you can extend the cooking time. Just make sure not to overcook them.
Flip for Better Results: If your air fryer doesn’t automatically flip the food, consider turning the purple sweet potato balls halfway through the cooking process. This ensures an even golden crust and a perfectly crispy exterior with a soft interior.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
-
·300g purple sweet potato
Accessories
-
·20g cornstarch
-
·50ml milk
Seasonings
-
·5g sugar
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Steam the purple sweet potatoes until tender, then peel and mash them into a smooth puree.
Step 2
Add 5g of sugar and 20g of cornstarch, and mix well.
Step 3
Gradually add 50ml of milk, stirring until the mixture forms a dough that is not sticky and can hold its shape.
Step 4
Roll the purple sweet potato mixture into small balls and place them in the air fryer basket.
Step 5
Set the air fryer to 180°C (350°F) and cook for 13 minutes, or until the surface turns slightly golden.
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Recipe Variations
Purple Sweet Potato Coconut Balls:
Add 20g of shredded coconut to the purple sweet potato puree for a rich, sweet coconut flavor. Mix well and follow the original steps to shape into small balls. The baked purple sweet potato balls will have a strong coconut aroma.
Purple Sweet Potato Vanilla Balls:
When mixing the purple sweet potato puree, add a few drops of vanilla extract or vanilla powder. This will give the purple sweet potato balls a unique fragrance, perfect for those who enjoy the taste of vanilla.
Purple Sweet Potato Chocolate Balls:
Add 20g of melted dark chocolate or cocoa powder to the purple sweet potato puree. This will create a richer and more complex flavor in the purple sweet potato balls, making them an excellent choice for a dessert.
Purple Sweet Potato Savory Balls:
Replace the sugar with 5g of salt, and add garlic powder, black pepper, and rosemary or other spices to make savory purple sweet potato balls. These can be served as a main dish or as a side dish alternative.
FAQs:
This will ensure the sweet potatoes cook evenly, preventing the outside from being overcooked while the inside remains undercooked.
Cutting them into smaller pieces will also speed up the steaming process, saving time. After steaming, follow the original steps to make a smooth puree, ensuring it’s fine and free from lumps to maintain a good texture.
Regular sweet potatoes are similar in texture and taste, though they have a higher sweetness compared to the milder taste of purple sweet potatoes.
The color will be different, but the overall result will still be delicious. If you want to keep the purple color, you can add a small amount of purple cabbage juice or food-grade purple dye to the puree.
If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate or freeze them to keep them fresh for a longer period.
For refrigeration, place the sweet potato balls in an airtight container to prevent exposure to air.
They’ll last for 1-2 days in the fridge, but the taste and texture will start to deteriorate after that.
For longer storage, freezing is the best option. Place the sweet potato balls on a baking tray and freeze them for 1-2 hours until solid. Then transfer them into a sealed bag to prevent them from sticking together. They can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months, and when you’re ready to eat them, just put them straight into the air fryer without thawing.
Purple sweet potato can be made into mashed purple sweet potatoes, purple sweet potato cakes, or balls. They have a smooth texture and a sweet taste, making them perfect for healthy desserts or snacks.
Purple Sweet Potato Pastries:
Purple sweet potatoes can be paired with glutinous rice flour, coconut flakes, and other ingredients to make purple sweet potato cakes or cookies. These pastries are visually appealing and have a fragrant, soft texture.
Purple Sweet Potato Salad:
After steaming the purple sweet potatoes, you can mix them with other vegetables like carrots or corn to make a salad, which is both healthy and nutritious.
Purple Sweet Potato Main Dishes:
Purple sweet potatoes can be used to make purple sweet potato steamed buns, dumplings, and other dishes. These add color and texture to your meals, especially for breakfast or as side dishes.
Purple Sweet Potato Drinks:
Purple sweet potatoes can also be used to make smoothies or sweet soups. With a moderate sweetness and smooth texture, these drinks are nutritious and delicious.
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