This is one of those rare dishes that are not unhealthy, easy to make and delicious. Thank you, Southeast Asia.

Pictures and recipe from: https://kwgls.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/deep-frying-your-potato-patties-begedil-%E7%82%B8%E9%A9%AC%E9%93%83%E8%96%AF%E9%A5%BC%EF%BC%89/

Prep:
Chop the cilantro (what I will henceforth refer to as 'chinese celery') and chop the shallots into thin strips (not cubes). Fry the shallots until fragrant and browned, or grab a passing Asian for intuition as to when they are done.

Cut the potatoes into cubes, they don't have to be very small as they will be boiled and mashed later anyway.

Cooking:
Boil the potatoes in a pot of hot water with pinches of salt until soft. Transfer the potatoes, deep fried shallots, Chinese celery, seasonings and spices (= cumin, coriander, white pepper) to a food processor and blend until your desired coarseness. It should be as chunky as potato stew, and nowhere near as fine as mashed potatoes. Alternatively, just use a fork to mash the potatoes and add the other ingredients.

Take about 2 tablespoons of the mashed potatoes, shape it like a ball and lightly flatten it until it resembles a patties. Coat with beaten eggs and deep fried in medium to low heat until the exterior is golden brown. Dish out and drain the oil in a piece of oil absorbing paper.