Ingredients
350 g (about 12 oz) potatoes, 1 egg.
Seasonings
75 g (about 2/3 cup) cornstarch, 35 g (about 3 tablespoons) sugar, 10 g (about 2 teaspoons) soy sauce, 10 g (about 2 teaspoons) vinegar, 5 g (about 1 teaspoon) sesame oil, and minced ginger to taste (can be soaked in water to make ginger juice).
Instructions
1. Wash the potatoes and steam them until fully cooked, then briefly soak them in cold water before peeling, use the flat side of a knife to mash the potatoes into a smooth puree, and stir in half of the ginger juice until well combined.
2. Grind 50 g (about 1.8 oz) of dried starch into a fine powder, reserving 25 g (about 0.9 oz) to mix with water to make a slurry; sprinkle the remaining starch powder into the mashed potatoes and stir until evenly combined, then beat in the egg and mix thoroughly to form the filling.
3. Grease a flat serving dish with a little oil, then squeeze the filling mixture into small balls about the size of your little finger.
4. Heat oil in a wok over high heat until it begins to foam; once the foam subsides, deep-fry one-third of the potato balls until they turn golden brown, then remove and drain. Repeat with the remaining potato balls, then pour off the oil, leaving just a thin layer in the wok.
5. Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger juice, cornstarch slurry, and some water to make a sauce mixture, pour it into the pan, and once the sauce thickens, add the deep-fried potato balls, toss quickly to coat, then remove from the pan and drizzle with sesame oil. This dish resembles cherries in appearance and has a sweet and sour flavor.