What is Oni Manju?
Oni manju is a traditional Japanese sweet that is popular mainly in the Aichi Prefecture and surrounding areas. It is a simple sweet made by mixing diced sweet potatoes into a wheat flour dough and steaming it, and is called "oni manju" because of its appearance, which means "a lumpy bun like an oni." It is characterized by sweet, fluffy sweet potatoes and a chewy dough, and has been loved for a long time because it is easy to make at home.
Oni Manju Recipe
Ingredients (for about 4 pieces)
- Sweet potato: 250g
- Sugar: 60g
- Flour: 100g
- Water: 1 tbsp (adjust as needed)
How to make it
1. Preparing the sweet potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes about 1 cm in size. You can leave the skin on, or peel it if you prefer. If the sweet potatoes tend to discolor easily, soak them in water to remove the bitterness, but if you are using them immediately, you do not need to soak them in water. Drain the water thoroughly.
2. Sprinkle with sugar
Mix the sweet potatoes and sugar in a bowl and leave for about 15 minutes. This will allow the sweet potatoes to release their moisture and make them moist.
3. Make the dough
Add the flour directly to the bowl containing the sugar-coated sweet potatoes and mix until evenly combined. If the dough is too powdery, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and keep mixing to adjust.
4. Shape and steam
Using an ice cream scoop will help you arrange the ice cream in a nice shape. Place the batter evenly on a bamboo steamer lined with baking paper. The key is to arrange the sweet potatoes so that they retain their chunky texture.
Use a bamboo steamer and steam over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. If you insert a skewer into the dough and it comes out clean, it's done.
5. Finished product
Let the steamed oni manju cool a little before eating! The sweetness of the sweet potato and the chewy dough have an excellent balance.
There is also a video explaining how to make it in detail! Please take a look!
