Sichuan stir-fried potatoes use thin potato shreds, dried chili, peppercorn-infused oil and a measured vinegar addition. This version follows The Woks of Life and selects green hot pepper; the pieces are short potato matchsticks, not noodles.
Quick Answer
Cover briefly as needed and cook until the raw center is gone while the shreds retain a firm bite. Thickness and pan heat vary, so a universal 30-second cooking claim is unreliable. Finish with scallion.
Basic Facts
| Potatoes | 2 large red-skin potatoes, cut into uniform thin shreds. The source gives a count rather than a fixed gram weight. |
|---|---|
| Oil and aromatics | 2 tablespoons oil; 1 tablespoon whole Sichuan peppercorns, infused then removed; 2 minced ginger slices; 2 garlic cloves; 4 dried chilies, within the source’s 3–6 range. |
| Vegetable and seasoning | 1 long green hot pepper, julienned; 1 teaspoon light soy; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon white vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon water; salt to taste; 1 scallion. |
Preparation and cooking
- Cut potatoes into thin, consistent matchsticks. Rinse away excess surface starch and drain well before they approach hot oil. Slice the green pepper and prepare the aromatics.
- Warm whole peppercorns in the measured oil to infuse it, then remove them. Add ginger, garlic and deseeded dried chilies, keeping them fragrant rather than blackened.
- Add drained potato shreds and green pepper. Stir-fry, then add soy, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water and salt to taste. Do not double the listed vinegar as a second unmeasured finishing dose.
- Cover briefly as needed and cook until the raw center is gone while the shreds retain a firm bite. Thickness and pan heat vary, so a universal 30-second cooking claim is unreliable. Finish with scallion.
Texture and seasoning
Rinsing limits a gluey surface coating, while thorough draining limits splattering. Consistent cuts make it easier to achieve a firm texture without leaving thick shreds raw.
Whole peppercorns are removed after infusing the oil in this selected version. Green pepper is chosen from the source’s green-or-red option; mushrooms, meat and noodle loops are not part of its ingredient list.
Quick reference
Use the measured ingredient list and the cooking order above. Images illustrate ingredients and appearance; they do not document this site’s own kitchen test or prove exact quantities.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these potato noodles?
No. They are short shreds cut from potatoes.
Should peppercorns stay in the plate?
This selected method removes them after oil infusion.
Does a fixed 30-second fry guarantee doneness?
No. Check actual tenderness, accounting for shred thickness and pan heat.