A large portion of the time I spent in Taipei was spent at one of their many night markets. On the second night of my trip, Ningxia Night Market was the market of choice and there were three stalls that I knew I needed to visit:
- Ningxia Yue Shi Scallions Pancake (月氏激蛋蔥油餅)
For their famous egg scallion pancake with basil, which is deep fried and brushed with their special garlic sauce and optional spicy sauce. They’re a little different than a traditional scallion pancake you’ll find at your local Shanghainese restaurant — these ones are much larger and crisp, and a bit less doughy than its Shanghainese counterpart. - Yuen Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette (圓環邊蚵仔煎)
There are so many oyster omelette options across the night markets but this one is perfect. The shop is Michelin recommended, busy, and loud, which is all part of the experience. The chewy and eggy pancakes are studded with fresh oysters and topped with a red sauce and fresh vegetables. - Liu Yu Zi (劉芋仔蛋黃芋餅)
This stall was my main priority. They only offer two things on their menu and that’s all they need because they do it so well (they’re on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list). There will be a line, probably the longest one of the market, but don’t let that deter you from trying one of the best bites at the Ningxia market. The line goes by quickly and you get to see the hawkers making each of the taro balls by hand during the wait. You can choose from two items: deep fried taro balls and deep fried taro balls with salted egg yolk (the latter contains pork floss). The taro is delicately crisp on the outside and so tender and sweet on the inside.
Ever since trying the fried taro balls, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. I am not the biggest fan of deep frying at home, but the results make it all worthwhile. The ingredient list is simple: taro root, glutinous rice flour, sugar, salted egg yolks, and a touch coconut milk. Taro has always been one of my favourite ingredients to work with and this really showcases why taro is such a great, versatile ingredient. This recipe can be scaled up or down depending how many taro balls you want to make.
Fried Taro Balls with Salted Egg Yolk (Night Market-Style)
Ever since trying the fried taro balls at Ningxia Night Market in Taipei, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. A lightly sweetened taro dough wraps around a whole salted egg yolk, and is then fried until golden. The crisp taro ball is tender, sweet, and savoury, and honestly one of the best bites. This recipe can be scaled up or down depending how many taro balls you want to make.
Makes 12 taro balls
Ingredients
Taro Dough
- 300 g taro root, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 35 g (5 tbsp) glutinous rice flour
- (4 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 3 – 4 tbsp milk of choice, I used coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling
- 12 cooked salted egg yolks
Instructions
Taro Dough
- Steam the cut taro root over medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes until tender. Transfer taro root to a large bowl
- Using a fork, mash the steamed taro until smooth. Add glutinous rice flour, granulated sugar, milk, and salt. Mix until combined. The consistency of the taro dough should resemble Playdoh. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Portion out the dough into 12 equal portions. Each portion should be roughly 2 tbsp (~40g) of dough.
Assembly
- Using your thumb or your knuckle, create an indentation in the centre of each piece of dough. Place a salted egg yolk in the centre and shape the dough over the top to seal. Repeat the above steps for the remaining dough.
Frying
- Heat a pot of vegetable oil to 350F.
- With a ladle, gently lower taro balls one at a time, no more than six balls at a time. Gently move the taro balls around to prevent any of them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Fry the taro balls for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the taro balls from the oil and drain them on a piece paper towel on a plate or small baking sheet.
- Serve immediately.
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