italian suitcase: chilli&vinegar potato shreds

My sister's gone and she left me with 2 red potatoes from our Chinese shopping over the weekend. When I mentioned the leftovers she started laughing saying: "It was a test to see whether you were buying anything I was telling you I ate while in China!". My puzzled face made her carry on: "Btw, I don't know how to cook them!!!"
I surfed for a while as didn't want to make anything traditional as mash potatoes. This thread came up and there was a link to a great recipe..
I was doubtful when I found the recipe because of too many flavours put together and I wasn't sure it would work. Numerous positive comments convinced me to experiment.

Here the original recipe, I've made some changes not having all the listed ingredients. thank you Charmaine for sharing such an incredible dish... What an awakening experience!! A mixture of sour, savoury, spicy, crunchy.

Ingredients:
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and shredded
3 garlic gloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Preparation:
Prepare the potatoes cutting them in halves and then slicing very thinly (3-4 mm), every 4-5 slices lay them down and cut again lengthways, like matchsticks. Leave to soak in a bowl with cold water to prevent them turning back.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok, then add the garlic, shallot and chilly powder. Pan-fry for about 1 minute - garlic/shallot should not turn brown.
Drain the potatoes and throw them in the wok, add the pinch of sugar and pour in the soy sauce and malt vinegar.
Stir-fry the potatoes for 5-6 minutes until the liquids will start to thicken together.

They look like french fries but taste much better!!!