Have you ever tried Hakka Chinese abacus seeds (suanpanzi, 算盘子), also known as abacus beads?

This classic Hakka Chinese dish features bite-sized dumplings made with steamed, mashed taro and tapioca starch, shaped into rounds and dimpled on both sides to resemble the beads on an abacus. They’re sautéed with ground pork, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, dried shrimp and dried cuttlefish, along with a savoury blend of Chinese seasonings.

The dumplings themselves are a bit like the Chinese answer to Italian gnocchi. And guess what? I recently discovered that Silesian dumplings (kluski śląskie) have a remarkably similar shape, except they’re made with potato and potato starch!

When I first heard about this dish and read that the dumplings were chewy, I was sold. If you’ve been following along on this blog, you’ll know I’m partial to anything soft and chewy! My interest was immediately piqued, and I knew I had to try making these dumplings myself.

As I often like to do, I decided to put my own spin on the dish by swapping out the traditional taro for sweet potatoes. And why use just one kind when you can use two? I used both orange and purple sweet potatoes, and the contrasting colours really make this dish pop! Just to keep things interesting, I used bison instead of pork while keeping the familiar Chinese flavour profile.

The result? Absolutely amazing! These colourful little dumplings were so unbelievably good, with that satisfying, soft and chewy bite complemented by all those umami-packed flavours. I’m already thinking about experimenting with different sauces the next time I make abacus beads!

Did you make this recipe?

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SWEET POTATO ABACUS BEADS

Ingredients:

Purple abacus beads:
500g purple sweet potatoes (I used Stokes Purple)
120g tapioca starch
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp hot water, or as needed

Orange abacus beads:
500g orange sweet potatoes (I used Jewel)
160g tapioca starch
1/4 tsp salt

500g ground bison (or meat of your choice)
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and diced
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp avocado oil + extra
Green onions for garnish

Method:

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes (you should get about 400g of each colour). Steam for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.

2. Place the orange and purple sweet potatoes into 2 separate bowls, mash and add in tapioca starch and salt and knead into a soft and pliable dough. Purple sweet potatoes have less moisture so add hot water as needed. (Note: moisture content can differ between sweet potato varieties, so the amount of tapioca starch may need to be adjusted. If the dough is too dry, add water, a little bit at a time.)

3. Roll the dough out into long ropes and cut into teapoon-sized (5-6 gram) sections. Roll each piece into balls, flatten slightly and use thumb and index finger to press the centre to create an indentation on both sides.

4. Drop abacus beads into salted boiling water. When they rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in a bowl of cold water. Drain and then toss with some oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
(Note: the purple dough will turn the water purple, so cook the orange pieces first, and then the purple)

5. Heat 3 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Fry shallots and garlic until fragrant.

6. Add in meat, breaking it up. When almost cooked, add in mushrooms. Stir in rest of seasonings and water.

7. Add cooked abacus beads. Fry for a few minutes, mixing well. Serve hot, garnished with green onions.