My Candied Sweet Potato

I did it! I made Daigaku Imo, now let me tell you the tale!

I drove into town today and hit up the Milk Market and as I was expecting there were no traders only the permanent units, what I did not expect was for the Asian Supermarket located there to have closed down, or for the coffee place to have a door I just could not find. So with some disappointment I moved on and got breakfast at the nearby nightclub (if you're local you know it, I would say but after the last post I feel like I've overdone the free advertising) and then moved on to Henry Street to Cheong Heng Hong Chinese Supermarket. Let me tell you, I was enthralled and amazed and delighted. The smell walking in the door was gorgeous and the place is huge, there were bags and bottles, jars and tubs of spices, herbs, powders, rices, meats, dried vegetables, fresh ones too and that whole sort. I mean just imagine what your local Asian supermarket looks like, though in saying that I really don't know many people who have been inside one, at least, 'round these parts. What I mean is, I live 30kms from Limerick City, not exactly local, but there is a Chinese take-away as well as a Chinese restaurant about 7kms down the road, so if you want Chinese/Thai/Indian food its really not the case that it could simply be easier to prepare it yourself, espeially when you think how cheap it is. So I can honestly admit that I had never been, before this, been in an Asian Supermarket.

Anyway I got my stuff: Mirin, Rice Wine Vinegar and Black Sesame Seeds for the Daigaku Imo and Mochiko Powder and Coconut Milk for the Mochiko Cake this weekend (or tomorrow if I'm good). Though I'm surprised I made it out with only that, so big hint if anyone wants to get me some woks and tea cups (you know where!). Headed on to a pub on Shannon Street for tea, then Dunne's for some more ingredients and eventually home where I had everything else I needed.

Already I couldn't wait to eat but there were some issues that had to be dealt with first. Even though the recipe is pretty easy going with its measurements, a teaspoon of this, a tablespoon of that, it did call for 300g of Sweet Potato but at this very moment in time my uncle has our scales so I guessed how much of the vegetable I would use. I was pretty generous with the rest of the ingredients too, a teaspoon was at least a teaspoon and a half. But that's how I always am, so I don't think that really would matter, especially as I'm sure not all teaspoons are the same size. 

I cut, boiled, peeled, cut and fried some sweet potato in a wok with some oil and then added the rest of the ingredients. 4 teaspoons of Mirin, 1 teaspoon of Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Soy Sauce, 2 and a half teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of Black Sesame Seeds, or well you know. Now I must say it came out lovely but I don't think quite right. I think what went wrong was that, I maybe boiled the sweet potato a little too long and then cut them up a little too small, and that's why I think they got a little gooey when I was trying to glaze them. They did however taste great and looked pretty good but not like they did in any of the pictures.

In case they didn't work out right first time round, which lets admit is normally the case, I'm happy to say I had the foresight to make sure I'd have enough sweet potato to make some more the next day. I'll check some more recipes and try not to let them get too soft and gooey. Although...I might just do the exact same again, like I said it was good!

 ...Now here's the thing, this all happened yesterday but it took me like four hours to get the photos uploaded and just then the router was turned off so that ended that. Now I spent pretty much the entire day today making lemon tarts and mocha biscuits with the sister and boys, so I'm doing this now instead. And actually since then I've tried my hand at cooking this again, but I was hungry so sorry no pictures! Anyway instead of boiling the tuber I cut into chunks and soaked in water for a while before frying it up with the sauce stuff. It definitely came out better as in it wasn't a complete mush of orange goo but unfortunately some of the bigger chunks were stringy instead of lovely and soft. And so the mission continues to perfect my Daigaku Imo.

Furthermore I realise this is becoming a little foody but we can blame the Finn for that, saying I'm mad into cooking weird things and me just needing to prove her right, then again it might just be because I love reading food blogs and I'm quite hungry quite a lot of the time, who knows. Next week Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites, or you know something else, ah you know how this whole thing works.

Seriously though check that link, they look amazing!