Sweet potato recipes from around the world

Daigaku Imo

大学芋 — caramel-glazed fried sweet potato · Japan

Watch the video — Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, washed, cut into 2–3 cm chunks (skin on)
• 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• Neutral oil for frying

Method

1. Soak the chunks in cold water for 10 minutes to remove surface starch, then drain and pat completely dry — dry pieces are what turn crisp.
2. Fry at ~160 °C for 4–5 minutes until tender inside, then raise the heat to ~180 °C and fry 1–2 minutes more until golden and crisp. Drain well.
3. In a pan, warm the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and water over medium heat until it bubbles and thickens into a light caramel.
4. Toss the hot fried chunks in the syrup, sprinkle with black sesame, and serve immediately — the glaze sets fast.

Satsuma-imo Gohan

さつまいもご飯 — sweet potato rice · Japan

Watch the video — Japanese Cooking 101

Ingredients

• 2 cups short-grain rice, washed
• 250 g sweet potato, cut into 1.5–2 cm cubes
• 1 tsp salt (or 1 tbsp sake + 1 tsp mirin)
• ~2¼ cups water

Method

1. Wash the rice and drain for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse the sweet potato cubes and drain well.
3. Add rice, water, and seasoning to a pot or rice cooker; scatter the sweet potato on top — don't stir it in.
4. Cook as usual, rest for 10 minutes, then fluff gently to fold the sweet potato through the rice.

Bá sī dì guā

拔丝地瓜 — candied “pulled” sweet potato · China

Watch the video — China Recipes

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3 cm batons
• ~5 tbsp sugar (roughly equal weight to the potato is traditional)
• 2 tbsp water
• Oil for frying · cold water for dipping (essential!)

Method

1. Fry the batons at ~160 °C until golden and cooked through; drain.
2. In a clean pan, melt the sugar with the water over medium heat, swirling, until it turns pale amber — test by drizzling a drop into cold water: it should form a thread that hardens.
3. Working quickly, toss the fried batons in the caramel to coat, then serve at once with a bowl of cold water.
4. Each piece is dipped in the water to set the glassy shell — this is also what creates the dramatic pulled-sugar threads.

Goguma Mattang

고구마 맛탕 — glazed sweet potato · Korea

Watch the video — Maangchi

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, cut into bite-size chunks (skin on)
• 4 tbsp sugar, 2–3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp honey or corn syrup (optional, for a softer glaze)
• Sesame seeds · oil for frying

Method

1. Fry the chunks at ~170 °C until golden and crisp; drain.
2. In a pan, simmer the sugar, water, and honey until it reaches the soft-ball stage (~115 °C) — a chewy, not brittle, glaze.
3. Toss the hot chunks in the syrup to coat evenly.
4. Sprinkle with sesame and cool on a rack; the glaze sets to a satisfying chew.

Sweet Potato Congee

地瓜粥 — sweet potato rice porridge · Taiwan

Watch the video — Amiee's Daily Food

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice, washed
• 200 g sweet potato, cut into 2 cm chunks
• 6 cups water
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Bring the rice and water to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
2. Add the sweet potato chunks and salt; simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft and porridge-like.
3. Mash a few sweet potato pieces into the broth to thicken and sweeten it naturally.
4. Serve hot, traditionally with pickles or salted vegetables on the side.

Kamote Cue

Kamote-Q — caramelized sweet potato skewers · Philippines

Watch the video — Danz Foodpark

Ingredients

• 600 g sweet potato, cut into thick rounds or wedges
• ~1 cup brown sugar
• Oil for frying (enough for a shallow pan) · bamboo skewers

Method

1. Thread 3–4 pieces onto each skewer.
2. Fry the skewers in shallow oil over medium heat until the sweet potato is about half-cooked.
3. Add the brown sugar to the hot oil and stir as it melts into a dark caramel.
4. Roll each skewer in the caramel to coat, then lift and cool on a rack until the coating turns glossy and hard.

Chè Khoai Lang

Chè khoai lang — sweet potato coconut dessert soup · Vietnam

Watch the video — Bếp Xưa

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 400 ml coconut milk
• ~100 g sugar, to taste · pinch of salt
• Optional: pandan leaf, small tapioca pearls
• Crushed roasted peanuts, to serve

Method

1. Simmer the sweet potato in water (just covering) until just tender — don't let it break down.
2. Stir in the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pandan if using; simmer gently for 5 more minutes.
3. Serve warm or chilled, topped with crushed peanuts.

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup

番薯糖水 — faan syu tong seui · Hong Kong

Watch the video — Ruyi Asian Recipes

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, cut into large chunks
• 4–5 thick slices fresh ginger, lightly smashed
• Rock sugar to taste (~80 g)
• Optional: a few taro chunks or tapioca pearls

Method

1. Simmer the ginger in 6 cups of water for 10 minutes to make a fragrant base.
2. Add the sweet potato chunks and simmer until tender but intact, about 15–20 minutes.
3. Stir in the rock sugar until dissolved; adjust to taste.
4. Serve hot — the classic cooling-season tong sui.

Shakarkandi Chaat

शकरकंदी चाट — spiced roasted sweet potato · India

Watch the video — Chef Ranveer Brar

Ingredients

• 600 g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1–2 tbsp oil
• 1–2 tsp chaat masala · juice of ½ lemon
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped · handful of fresh coriander
• Optional: pomegranate seeds, a drizzle of yogurt

Method

1. Toss the cubes in oil and roast at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until caramelized at the edges.
2. Toss hot with chaat masala, lemon juice, chilli, and coriander.
3. Top with pomegranate or yogurt if you like, and serve warm.

Yaki Imo

焼き芋 — roasted whole sweet potato · Japan

Watch the video — Chef JA Cooks

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes (similar size, scrubbed)
• Pinch of salt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C (or use a rice cooker's cake setting, or a bed of hot stones if you want the street version).
2. Bake the whole roots directly on the rack for 60–90 minutes, turning once, until a skewer slides in easily and the skin darkens in patches.
3. Rest for 5 minutes — the flesh continues to caramelize — then split open and eat hot, straight from the skin.

Sweet Potato Tempura

さつまいもの天ぷら — battered & fried sweet potato · Japan

Watch the video — Japanese Mom Makes

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato, cut into 1 cm rounds (skin on)
• 1 cup ice-cold water, 1 egg yolk, ~1 cup flour (the colder the batter, the crisper)
• Oil for deep frying · salt or tentsuyu (dashi + soy + mirin), to serve

Method

1. Whisk the egg yolk into the ice water, then stir in the flour briefly — lumpy is correct; do not overmix.
2. Heat the oil to ~170–180 °C.
3. Dip each round in the batter and fry 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp; the thicker the slice, the creamier the center.
4. Drain, dust with salt, and serve immediately with tentsuyu for dipping.

Di Gua Qiu (QQ Balls)

地瓜球 — chewy fried sweet potato balls · Taiwan

Watch the video — Ms J Kitchen Classroom

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato, peeled and steamed
• ~80 g tapioca starch (start with less — adjust as you knead)
• 2–3 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt · oil for frying

Method

1. Mash the steamed sweet potato while warm; stir in the sugar and salt, then work in the tapioca starch until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.
2. Roll into small balls (2–3 cm).
3. Fry at ~140 °C, gently pressing each ball with the back of a spoon as it puffs — that pressing is what creates the hollow, chewy “QQ” texture.
4. Once puffed and golden, drain and toss in a little sugar while hot.

Kolak

Kolak ubi — sweet potato in coconut palm-sugar broth · Indonesia

Watch the video — Von's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 200 g ripe banana, sliced (optional but traditional)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• ~80 g palm sugar (or brown sugar), 2–3 pandan leaves
• Pinch of salt · small tapioca pearls (optional)

Method

1. Simmer the sweet potato in water (just covering) with the pandan until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the palm sugar and salt; stir until dissolved.
3. Add the coconut milk and banana (and pearls if using); simmer gently 5 more minutes — do not boil hard or the coconut milk splits.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature — the classic Ramadan break-fast treat.

Japchae

잡채 — glass noodles made from sweet potato starch · Korea

Watch the video — Maangchi

Ingredients

• 200 g sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon)
• 1 carrot + 1 onion + 3–4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 150 g spinach · 2 eggs (thin omelet, sliced)
• Sauce: 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, toasted sesame

Method

1. Boil the noodles 6–7 minutes until translucent and chewy; drain and toss with a little sesame oil.
2. Stir-fry the vegetables separately so each keeps its texture, seasoning lightly.
3. Combine everything in the pan with the sauce over medium heat until glossy.
4. Finish with sesame seeds and the sliced omelet — serve warm or at room temperature.

Hongshu Bing

红薯饼 — pan-fried sweet potato pancake · China

Watch the video — ChineseHealthyCook

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato, peeled, steamed, and mashed
• ~4 tbsp flour (or glutinous rice flour for chewiness)
• 2 tbsp sugar · pinch of salt
• Oil for pan-frying

Method

1. Mix the warm mash with flour, sugar, and salt into a soft dough; if too wet, add flour a spoon at a time.
2. Shape into small patties about 1 cm thick.
3. Pan-fry in a little oil over medium heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp-edged.
4. Serve hot — plain, or dusted with sugar.

Sweet Potato & Groundnut Stew

Sweet potato in peanut & tomato stew · West Africa

Ingredients

• 600 g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 1 onion, chopped · 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1–2 tbsp tomato paste (or 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped)
• ½ cup natural peanut butter · 3 cups stock or water
• 1 tsp grated ginger · chilli to taste · handful of greens (spinach or sweet potato leaves) · salt

Method

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until soft; add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and stock, whisking until smooth.
3. Add the sweet potato, ginger, and chilli; simmer 20–25 minutes until tender.
4. Stir in the greens for the last 5 minutes; season and serve over rice or with fufu.

Matembele

Matembele — sweet potato leaves in coconut & peanut sauce · Tanzania / Mozambique

Ingredients

• 400 g young sweet potato leaves, washed, tough stems trimmed
• 1 onion, chopped · 1–2 tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup coconut milk · ¼ cup ground peanuts or peanut butter
• 1–2 tsp curry powder or cumin · salt · oil

Method

1. Sauté the onion; add the tomatoes and cook down to a sauce.
2. Add the coconut milk and ground peanuts; simmer 5 minutes.
3. Add the leaves and cook 5–7 minutes, stirring, until wilted and tender.
4. Season and serve with ugali or rice.

Sweet Potato Irio

Irio — mashed sweet potato, maize & beans · Kenya

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, peeled, boiled
• 1 cup cooked maize (corn) · 1 cup cooked beans (kidney or black-eyed)
• 1 bunch greens (kale, spinach, or sweet potato leaves), chopped
• 2 tbsp butter or oil · salt

Method

1. Boil the maize and beans together until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the boiled sweet potato and mash everything together coarsely.
3. Sauté the greens in butter, then fold them through the mash.
4. Season and serve hot — a one-pot meal complete with the beans' protein.

Sweet Potato Coconut Porridge

Sweet potato breakfast porridge · East Africa

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato, peeled, cubed
• 400 ml coconut milk + 2 cups water (or all milk)
• 2–3 tbsp sugar or honey, to taste · pinch of salt
• Optional: cardamom or cinnamon, a spoon of ground peanuts

Method

1. Simmer the sweet potato in the water until very soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk, sweetener, salt, and spices; simmer 5 minutes more.
3. Mash the potato into the liquid for a thick, creamy porridge — or leave chunks.
4. Serve hot, topped with ground peanuts if you like.

Dulce de Camote

Camotes enmielados — candied sweet potato in cinnamon syrup · Mexico

Ingredients

• 1 kg sweet potato, peeled, cut into thick rounds
• 2 cups piloncillo or brown sugar
• 2–3 cups water · 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 strip orange zest (optional) · pinch of salt

Method

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water with the cinnamon and zest; simmer 5 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato rounds and simmer covered 25–30 minutes until just tender.
3. Uncover and reduce the syrup until it turns glossy and coats the pieces.
4. Serve warm with the syrup spooned over — the classic Mexican street dessert.

Boniato con Mojo

Boniato con mojo criollo — boiled boniato with garlic-citrus sauce · Cuba

Ingredients

• 4 boniato (white-fleshed sweet potatoes), peeled, chunked
• Mojo: 4 garlic cloves, minced · ⅓ cup olive oil · ⅓ cup lime or sour-orange juice
• 1 tsp salt · pinch of cumin (optional)

Method

1. Boil the boniato in salted water until tender, 15–20 minutes; drain.
2. Warm the oil in a small pan, add the garlic, and cook just until fragrant — do not brown.
3. Stir in the citrus juice, salt, and cumin; warm through.
4. Drizzle the mojo over the boniato and serve hot.

Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding

Sweet potato pudding — coconut & spice baked pudding · Jamaica

Ingredients

• 1 kg sweet potato, peeled, finely grated
• 400 ml coconut milk · 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour or cornmeal · ¼ cup melted butter · 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice · ½ cup raisins (optional) · pinch of salt

Method

1. Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated sweet potato.
2. Mix everything together until well combined; the batter will be thick.
3. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake at 180 °C for 60–75 minutes until set and caramelized at the edges.
4. Cool slightly and serve warm — a dense, spicy island classic.

Sweet Potato Pone

Sweet potato pone — old-fashioned molasses bake · Southern United States

Ingredients

• 1 kg sweet potato, peeled, boiled and mashed (or finely grated)
• ½ cup molasses · ¼ cup butter, melted · 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk or cream · 1 tsp cinnamon · ½ tsp ginger · pinch of salt

Method

1. Beat the warm mash with the butter, molasses, and eggs.
2. Stir in the milk, spices, and salt until smooth.
3. Pour into a buttered dish and bake at 170 °C for 70–80 minutes until set.
4. Serve warm, with a little cream if you like.