Purple Potato Balls

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Bola-bola ubi (sweet potato balls) is one of the popular mid-afternoon snacks in Jakarta. And surprisingly it's also very easy to make.

Last Monday, I was craving for these sweet balls and thinking about whipping up a batch when I realized that I didn't have sweet potatoes. But I had some purple potatoes that J acquired from Berkeley Bowl last weekend. 

So I figured I'd give it try. And the result did not disappoint me. And, oh, it's totally gluten free!

Ingredients:

• 500 grams cooked and mashed purple potato
• 6 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk (if necessary)
• Oil for frying

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, tapioca flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until well mixed. If the dough is a little too hard, add a little bit of milk.
• Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it into a small ball (about 1 1/2-inch in diameter). Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. You should be able to get 20-24 balls.
• Place oil in a frying skillet, enough to cover at least 1-inch from the bottom of the skillet. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches about 350 F. Fry potato balls in batches, 6-7 at a time, until well cooked and turn golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
• Place 1/3 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll potato balls in sugar until well covered. Transfer potato balls to serving plate and serve warm.