Chinese Stir-Fried Shredded Potatoes 醋溜土豆絲

Serious question – do you consider potato a vegetable or a starch food?

As I was preparing for today’s recipe, I just couldn’t stop thinking about this question. And, depending on the answer of the question, you’d either call today’s Chinese shredded potatoes a vegetable dish or a side dish.

This Chinese shredded potato dish aka 醋溜土豆絲 is a popular stir-fry fare ubiquitous in many parts of China.

In fact, if you just walk into an authentic Chinese restaurant here in the States now, you have a good chance of finding this vegetarian/vegan friendly dish on the menu listed under the vegetable section.

On the other hand, I’d never seen this at an American-Chinese takeout place, yet.

In terms of flavor, you’ll find a dozen of regional varieties and twists but my personal favorite is this salt and vinegar flavor which is what I am sharing today.

Now, if you want to make this dish at home, it’s actually pretty straightforward, at least in theory. Almost all the variations of this dish follow something like this:

1. Peel the potatoes and shred into thin strips.
2. Soak the strips in cold water to get rid of the starch (osmosis!).
3. Stir fry the potato strips with seasoning and various other optional ingredients.

The end product is a plate of crispy and delicious shredded potatoes.

Sounds easy enough?

I’d say so if I had never make this but after making this dish a countless times, I’d tell you this 5-ingredient dish takes some skill but a lot of patience. And I’ll explain why.

You see, the cooking part is actually easy. You just need a wok or pan that’s big enough and some basic stir-fry skills to make sure the potatoes are not burned.

The difficult part, for me anyway, is to turn the potatoes into uniform and paper-thin strips.

Simply put, it takes time to have to first slice the potatoes into thin slices then cut into thin strips.

I’ve also tried my food processor attachment but the potato strips would come out in inconsistent shapes, causing some of the potato undercooked or overcooked.

I haven’t tried on a good mandolin. If you have one handy, please give it a try and let me know.

But until I figure out a reliable way to shred these potatoes, I’ll have to rely on my sharp knife and steady hand 🙂

Print Recipe

{Recipe} Chinese Stir-Fried Shredded Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

This crispy and delicious shredded potato dish is a classic Chinese stir-fry fare that you'll not want to miss. It's also vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 fresh pepper such as jalapeno or bell pepper
• 1/2 carrot
• 3tbsp rice vinegar
• 1tsp salt

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and slice into 1/8" slices. Shred the potato slices into thin strips. Cut the carrot and pepper into thin strips as well. Soak the shredded potatoes in col water for 20 minutes. Gently turn the strips occasionally while being soaked. This step is to reduce potato starch so the cooked potato will stay crunchy. Drain the excess water and side the shredded potatoes aside. In a large wok or pan or cast iron skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add the pepper strips and stir fry for 30 seconds. Switch to high heat, add the shredded potatoes and carrot. Spread the potatoes around the wok and turn them around after 15 seconds. Repeat this process for about 2 minutes or until the potatoes turn translucent. Add vinegar and salt and stir fry for another minute. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately as a side or appetizer.

But…back to the serious question: do you see a potato as a vegetable or starch food? Please post your thoughts in the comment area.