Suan La Tudou Si, Hot and Sour Potato Slivers
Suan la tudou si is a fast Northern and Sichuan home dish, a plate of crisp potato slivers that eat more like a cold salad than a starch. The whole thing turns on two habits: cut the potato into even matchsticks, and rinse the cut surfaces until the water runs clear so the slivers stay loose and crunchy. Traditionally the slivers are stir-fried hard in oil for seconds; here a quick blanch and a water-bloomed dressing get the same crisp, barely-cooked result. Clear rice vinegar keeps it bright, a spoon of black vinegar adds depth, and toasted Sichuan pepper brings the numbing tingle that defines the dish. No salt is needed because the sourness, heat, and pepper carry it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Potatoes, about 680 g, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn, toasted and ground
- 3 pieces Dried Thai chile, snipped into rings
- 2 pieces Scallions, sliced
Method
- Rinse the potato matchsticks under cold running water, tossing, until the water runs clear, then drain well. Surface starch is what glues the slivers into a paste; washing it off is the single step that lets them stay separate and crunchy instead of turning gummy.
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about a minute, then grind them. The aroma is volatile and fades fast, so grinding straight from the toasting pan captures the numbing citrus note that pre-ground powder has already lost.
- Blanch the drained matchsticks in boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds, until barely tender but still snapping, then drain and shock under cold water. The brief cook takes off the raw edge while the cold shock stops it, which is how the slivers keep their crunch without any oil.
- In the dry hot pan, add 2 tbsp (30 ml) water with the garlic and snipped chiles and warm 30 seconds to bloom them, then pour in both vinegars off the heat. Blooming the aromatics in water carries their flavor with no oil, and adding the vinegar off high heat keeps it sharp rather than cooking it flat.
- Toss the drained potato with the dressing, scallions, and ground Sichuan pepper, and serve at once. The acid, the numbing pepper, and the chile heat do the work salt usually would, so it tastes complete with none added.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 120 calories, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber, 15 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
