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This recipe comes from Yang Liu’s new cookbook Vegan Asian Street Food, a pick from our Climate Cookbook series. Read more about it here.
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RECIPE: Guoba Potato (Guoba Tudou)
- Yield: Serves 2
Description
Guoba potato is a widely loved street food from Sichuan. “Guoba” normally means “rice crust,” but it can also refer to other crusty or crispy foods. In this dish, the potatoes are first boiled, then deep-fried, resulting in chunks that are crisp and golden on the outside, but soft and tender inside. Once you mix the potatoes with the sauce, the dish has many layers of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 Tbsps cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp chili flakes or ground chili
- 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- ~2 1/2 cups canola oil
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps You po la zi (Sichuan chili oil; see note)
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, then return the potatoes to the pan, add the cornstarch or potato starch and flour, and mix well to combine.
- Mix the garlic, cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, salt, chili flakes, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
- Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. To check whether the oil is hot enough for deep-frying, hold a wooden chopstick in the oil. If it is immediately surrounded by tiny bubbles, the oil is ready to use. Keep the oil temperature steady for deep-frying.
- Carefully spoon about 2 tablespoons of the hot oil over the garlic and spice mixture. Add the soy sauce to the mixture.
- Add the potatoes to the remaining hot oil and fry for about 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon or a sieve and transfer to the bowl with the spices. Add the chili oil, scallions, and cilantro, and mix everything well.
Notes
Chili oil: You po la zi, or Sichuan Chilli oil, can be made using the recipe in Vegan Asian Street Food or this recipe.
Excerpted with permission from Vegan Asian Street Food: Over 80 plant-based recipes for every occasion by: Yang Liu published by Hardie Grant Publishing, January 2026, RRP $32.99. Hardcover.
