Sour Spicy Potato Slivers

Suan La Tudou Si (酸辣土豆丝)

Thin slivers of potato are stir-fried with spicy, sour pickled red chilies and fragrant, spicy green chilies and then tossed with a splash of white vinegar.

Sour Spicy Dishes (酸辣菜品) are sometimes better known as hot and sour dishes in this US. In true Sichuan fashion, the best Sour Spicy dishes use a combination of chilies – preferably pickled chilies – and vinegar. Sichuan pickled chilies (泡椒) really add a lot to this dish. They’re not only sour and spicy, but also have subtle fragrant undertones similar to Chinese Five Spice. However, this dish can be made simply with fresh chilies, as is common in many provinces outside of Sichuan.

Sour Spicy Potato Slivers is a Stir-Fried Potato Sliver dish, so naturally, it is prepared in almost the exact same manner as Spicy Stir-Fried Potato Slivers (炝炒土豆丝). The key distinction between these dishes is merely the flavor profile. Sour Spicy Potato Slivers has rather simple flavors so that it may truly emphasize the hot and sour flavor.

For this dish, you can use nearly any type of green chili or green bell pepper to add flavor, fragrance, and color. If you do not want the dish overwhelmingly spicy, you may use green bell pepper. The green chili commonly used for this dish is rather large and has a mild heat. However, if you would like, you can substitute this with five long, thin green chilies for a spicier dish.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

1 – 2 Potatoes (about 500 grams)

1 tsp. Salt

Aromatics
1 – 2 cloves of Garlic
1-inch cube of Ginger
5 Pickled Red Chilies

1 large Green Chili or Green Bell Pepper

1 Tbsp. White Vinegar

1/4 cup Peanut Oil

Seasonings
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. MSG

2 tsp. White Vinegar

Directions

1.) Wash and peel the Potatoes.

2.) Cut off a thin slice from the flattest side of each Potato. (This will give the potatoes a solid base when slicing). Then, slice the Potatoes lengthwise into thin discs so they look like long chips.

(Stack these as you slice to make the next step easier).

3.) Spread the stack of Potatoes across the cutting board like spreading a deck of cards. (For right-handed people, spread from right to left). Then chop or slice the Potatoes into long slivers about as thick as a matchstick.

4.) Place the Potato slivers in a large bowl and rinse with water. Add more water along with a little salt and soak these slivers for about 5 to 10 minutes to remove extra starch.

5.) While the Potatoes soak, peel and dice the Garlic and Ginger, setting them aside in a small bowl for Aromatics. Cut the Pickled Red Chilies into thin slivers and add them to this bowl.

6.) Cut the large Green Chili into thin slivers and set the slivers aside in a separate bowl from the Aromatics.

7.) After a long soak, massage the Potato slivers and wring them out underwater to remove as much starch as possible. Then, drain the Potatoes thoroughly and shake out any excess water.

8.) Fill a wok about 1/3 full with water and heat on high until boiling. Add a liberal tablespoon of Vinegar and pour in the Potato slivers. Cook the Potato slivers, stirring constantly, for about 20 seconds before removing them and draining the water.

(This step will remove most of the remaining starch and give the Potatoes a great texture once they are fried).

9.) Heat about 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil in a wok on high heat until nearly smoking. Remove from heat momentarily and add the bowl of Aromatics, stir-frying just a few seconds until fragrant.

10.) Return the wok to heat and immediately add the Potatoes, stirring quickly to evaporate any water. Cook the Potato slivers for about 20 seconds and then add the slivers of Green Chili, stir-frying everything for another 20 seconds.

(The Potatoes only need to cook about 40 seconds in total; however, for a softer version, simply cook the slivers slightly longer before adding the Green Chili).

11.) Remove the wok from heat and add the Seasonings (Salt, Sugar, and MSG). Return the wok to heat just long enough to stir in these Seasonings.

12.) Quickly remove the wok from heat once more, splash with Vinegar, return the wok to heat, and give a final stir. Use a slotted spoon to remove the Potatoes from the wok and arrange on a serving plate.

 

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