Vietnamese prawn and sweet potato fritters
These prawn and sweet potato fritters are fried to golden perfection and pairs perfectly with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potato, cut into batons (3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick)
- 1 lb prawns, head and shell intact
- 1 1/4 cups rice flour
- 2 tbsps corn starch
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup cold water (or sparkling water)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- butter lettuce
- Vietnamese coriander, shiso, Thai basil, mint for serving
- nuoc cham (dipping sauce) for serving
- 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
Dipping sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 bird's eye chili, thinl sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps fish sauce
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into batons, 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Add the cut potatoes into a large bowl filled with iced water and let it stay in the fridge for 1 hour to crisp up. Drain well when ready to use.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre. Gradually add enough water, whisking constantly, to form a smooth and thick batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Place the prawns in a bowl and season with remaining salt and pepper. Stir and allow to stand.
- Divide the potatoes into 1 ounce portions. You can also divide them based on how big you want the fritter to be but less than the size of your palm is best for frying.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a kitchen thermometer.
- Add the sweet potatoes and prawn to the batter and toss well to coat. Spoon each portion of the fritter into the heated oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove them and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining portions until you’re finished frying.
- Transfer the fried fritters to the oven to keep warm.
- To make the dipping sauce, combine everything in a bowl and whisk together until combined.
- When ready to serve, place the herbs and fritters on a large serving platter. Wrap the fritter and a few herbs in the lettuce and dip it into the dipping sauce.
Notes
I like the batter consistency thick enough (look for a pancake batter consistency) to hold the sweet potatoes and prawn together when they’re fried but not so thick that you feel like biting into a ball of fried dough. Adjust the batter by thickening it with 1/2 tbsp of flour or water at a time.
When you cut them into matchsticks, you’ll lose out on the sweetness of the sweet potato. If you cut them too thick, they won’t be crispy when fried. I divide the sweet potatoes into 1 ounce portions to keep the size consistent for frying.
Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan when frying or these fritters will turn out a bit soggy. I only have 2 to 3 fritters in the pan at a time