My mom’s EASY childhood recipe on authentic Taro and Sweet Potato Balls requires FOUR Ingredients ONLY!
Chewy, sweet, refreshing Taro and Sweet Potato Balls are the PERFECT easy summer dessert that you need to try! Taro and Sweet Potato Balls are popular night market desserts with endless ways to enjoy, whether it is on top of shaved ice, grass jelly dessert, or pairs with red bean soup.
If you never had Taro and Sweet Potato Balls before, it resembles a mochi texture but chewier!
Trust me; you will also fall in love with your homemade taro balls! They are made with natural ingredients with no food coloring and preservatives! You can taste the fresh ingredients, and they are not backed with flour!
The only ingredients you need to make Taro and Sweet Potato Balls are tapioca starch, sugar, and sweet potato or taro.
I am using yam (pale yellow), purple yam (dark purple), and taro (light purple) today, but you can also use pumpkin or sweet potato for the beautiful orange color. No food coloring is added, and you can taste the sweetness of the taro and sweet potato because it is not packed with flour!
I like to make Taro and Sweet Potato Balls in bulk; freeze the rest for up to 3 months!
I love pairing the taro balls with red bean soup in the winter, and in the summer, I love enjoying them on top of shaved ice with condensed milk and brown sugar syrup.
Another popular way to enjoy these taro balls is with grass jelly. A famous Taiwanese dessert shop called “Meet Fresh” shares many ways to enjoy your sweet potato balls.
Do you want more AUTHENTIC Taiwanese recipes? Here are some of my favorites that you will also love!
- Honey Castella Sponge Cake (Fail-proof)
- Scallion Oil Noodles (Easy & Vegetarian)
- Crispy Taiwanese Potstickers (Secret Family Recipe)
- XXL Fried Chicken (Night market Style)
Ingredients
- 400 g of Yam or Sweet Potato or Purple Yam or Taro
- 200 g of Tapioca Starch or Sweet Potato Flour
- 3 tbsp of Sugar
** Ratio is 2:1 of fresh ingredient to starch **
** Adjust sweetness to your liking **
- Peel the yam, taro, or sweet potato and cut it into thin strips. Steam the yam, taro, or sweet potato for 25 – 30 minutes or until soft. Make sure to separate based on the color to prevent color transfer.
- Working with one vegetable at a time, add in sugar, and mash together.
- Add in tapioca starch of sweet potato flour, 25% at a time; once it is safe to touch, knead until it forms into a ball.
- Roll out and cut into bite-sized pieces. Coat with more tapioca starch, and dust off any excess starch before freezing and cooking.
- Bring a pot of water to boil; once it starts simmering, add in the taro ball, let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until it floats. Once it floats, let it cook for another 3-5 minutes and rest in an ice bath.
- Make sure to cook the taro, yam, and sweet potato balls separately to prevent color transfer.
- Serve on top of shaved ice, and drizzle condensed milk and brown sugar on top.
Taro and Sweet Potato Balls
Materials
- 400 g of Yam or Sweet Potato or Purple Yam or Taro
- 200 g of Tapioca Starch or Sweet Potato Flour
- 3 tbsp of Sugar
Instructions
- Peel the yam, taro, or sweet potato and cut it into thin strips. Steam the yam, taro, or sweet potato for 25 – 30 minutes or until soft. Make sure to separate based on the color to prevent color transfer.
- Working with one vegetable at a time, add in sugar, and mash together.
- Add in tapioca starch of sweet potato flour, 25% at a time; once it is safe to touch, knead until it forms into a ball.
- Roll out and cut into bite-sized pieces. Coat with more tapioca starch, and dust off any excess starch before freezing and cooking.
- Bring a pot of water to boil; once it starts simmering, add in the taro ball, let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until it floats. Once it floats, let it cook for another 3-5 minutes and rest in an ice bath.
- Make sure to cook the taro, yam, and sweet potato balls separately to prevent color transfer.
- Serve on top of shaved ice, and drizzle condensed milk and brown sugar on top.
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