Boil or steam the purple sweet potatoes until soft
Place them in a large bowl and mash with a fork
Add glutinous rice flour and water and mix well – it should form a sticky paste-like mixture that’s easily moulded into balls (add a tiny bit more water if necessary, but be careful not to add too much)
Mould the mixture into small balls
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add about a handful of the balls once the water’s boiled, leaving the pan on high heat throughout – it’s very important to wait until the water’s boiling and you mustn’t add too many at a time otherwise the temperature of the water will drop and they won’t cook properly!
Cook the balls in a few batches – they’ll be ready about 1 minute after they’ve risen to the surface of the water
Scoop them out with a spoon once they’re done and transfer to a bowl filled with cold water
Repeat this process until all the balls are cooked
Leave them in the cold water for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a dry bowl or plate
Best eaten immediately, but leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days
Enjoy them either:
Dusted with kinako and drizzled with date syrup (or any other sweetener if you don’t have this)
Served in (hot or cold) sweetened coconut milk – you can make this by adding sweetener of choice to coconut milk diluted with water