Kanom kai nok krata, or fried sweet potato balls, are a common Thai street sweet made predominantly from sweet potato (orange or purple) and tapioca starch. They're like a mix between Brazilian pão de queijo and doughnut holes, sticky from tapioca starch with the comfort of that deep fried texture.
Despite a common belief by many Westerners that vegetarianism is impossible to communicate in Thailand, and that fish sauce goes in everything, the Thai language has a word to indicate veganism that is universally understood. เจ translates in English to je, or jay, and means no animal products. The concept is so well understood, in fact, that for ten days a year the country celebrates a vegan diet with such a fervour that it's near impossible in a large city to find a venue without vegetarian options!
One of the best times in Thailand to try street foods is during this annual festival, tesagaan gin jee (เทศกาลกินเจ), in the autumn. Yellow flags are strung across tables and shophouses of participating vendors, indicating they have vegan friendly foods for sale. That's how I came to try these moreish fried sweet potato balls, a cheap and delicious vegan snack you can find sizzling in vats of oil half the size of your bathtub.
Not quite sweet, but also outside of savoury territory, these steaming nibbles are both easy to prepare and contain minimal ingredients. Just be sure you make them to order as they make rubbish leftovers.
They're reliably vegan, so you don't need to wait until the vegetarian festival to enjoy these commonly available street sweets.
📖 Recipe
Fried Sweet Potato Balls (Kanom Kai Nok Krata – ขนมไข่นกกระทา)
Ingredients
- 250 grams peeled sweet potato cut into chunks
- 125 grams 1 cup tapioca starch
- 25 grams 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 30 grams 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Steam the sweet potato for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender (or boil and drain). Once cooled, mash the sweet potato before kneading in the remaining starches for a few minutes with your hands to attain a soft and smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Heat at least two inches of oil in a large saucepan or wok (I use 3 cups for my 12 inch wok) to medium low.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon size balls and fry in two batches until golden, agitating them frequently to ensure even cooking. Each batch will take 2-3 minutes.