Some of the materials of Fried Jelly can be bought at points of sale (mostly trolleys) at many pedlars' markets and in places where snack stalls concentrate. Ordinary families also know how to make it. Jelly comes in sweet potato or mung bean starch, supplemented by soybean paste, scallion, ginger and garlic and stir-fried in sesame oil. Despite its smooth and tender texture, warm, fresh, and fragrant jelly does not fragment, and has been known for its “toughness in the wake of stir frying”. The preparation process was presented overseas several times and was well received. To start with, water is poured into starch and the mix is stirred to form a thin paste. Then, the paste is cooked in boiling water. Last, it is scooped up, aired and becomes jelly—the main ingredient of fried jelly that is yet to be supplemented by soybean paste, scallion, and ginger and stir-fried in oil. Fried jelly is warm, fragrant, fresh, and tender. It has a smell of burning but is not scorched.

 

Preparation Technique 1

1. Get some mung bean starch, available in a hypermarket or supermarket; get a 1/2-cup measuring cup.

2. Fill the measuring cup with mung bean starch and pour it into a pannikin. Then, pour 6 portions of cold water into the pannikin with the same measuring cup. That is to say, the starch-to-water ratio is 1:6. What’s important is a proper ratio, not the measuring tool used. Nevertheless, some prefer 1:5 and some others prefer 1:7.

3. Stir the starch and cold water to make sure they mix together and the mixture is smooth, that is, they are stirred until the starch is in liquid form. Put it on the stove. Stir it while it is being heated until the mixture in the pannikin becomes transparent. Transparency means it is done and you need to turn off the stove. Note: stirring can go slowly when the water is not yet hot, but it cannot stop once the water has heated up.

4. Pour the heated mixture into a container and allow it to cool. When it has all cooled down, it becomes detachable from the vessel. If you want it to cool faster, put it in the cold closet of the refrigerator while its temperature is not ideal and then take it out. If it stays in the refrigerator for too long, it will be stiff and taste bad.

5. Detach the cool jelly from its container and put it on the cooked foods chopping board. Cut it into pieces the size you prefer and place them in a container.

6. Mix it with your favorite condiments. People in Sichuan love spicy foods, so condiments including scallion, garlic, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, vinegar, and chili oil are added and the whole mixture is stirred even before it is eaten. Let’s get started!