Okinawan-Style Donuts
沖縄風ドーナツ（卵なし） · Okinawa-fu Donatsu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These little fried donuts take their cue from sata andagi, the round, crunchy-outside, cakey-inside doughnut balls that are a classic Okinawan sweet. This preschool version keeps things simple: egg-free pancake mix, sweetened soy milk and kokuto, the dark, mineral-rich brown sugar made from Okinawan sugarcane, so the batter comes together in one bowl with no egg at all. The kokuto gives a gentle, almost caramel-like sweetness that children love, and bite-sized spoonfuls are just right for small hands at snack time.
Contains kokuto (Japanese brown sugar), which should not be given to babies under 1 year old.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 37.5 gpancake mix (egg-free)Japanese hotcake mix is a sweetened pancake mix with baking powder already added; this version contains no egg ingredients. Substitute: An egg-free pancake mix with a little sugar added, checking the label for egg powder.
- 15 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Seasonings
- 3.8 gkokuto (Japanese brown sugar)An unrefined dark cane sugar from Okinawa with a deep, molasses-like flavor. Substitute: Dark brown sugar or muscovado.
- 4.5 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- pancake mix (egg-free) (ホットケーキミックス（卵不使用）)
- Japanese hotcake mix is a sweetened pancake mix with baking powder already added; this version contains no egg ingredients. Substitute: An egg-free pancake mix with a little sugar added, checking the label for egg powder.
- kokuto (Japanese brown sugar) (黒砂糖)
- An unrefined dark cane sugar from Okinawa with a deep, molasses-like flavor. Substitute: Dark brown sugar or muscovado.
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Directions
- 1
Put the pancake mix and kokuto in a bowl and whisk them together.
- 2
Add the soy milk and mix until no dry flour remains.
- 3
Heat the oil to 160°C (320°F), then scoop up the batter with a spoon, drop it into the oil and fry. (Tip: pour a little oil into a small container and rest the spoon in it before scooping - the batter will slide off the spoon much more easily.)
For children in the final weaning stage (around 12 to 18 months), make these with regular sugar instead of kokuto. If the oil is too hot the surface browns very quickly, so fry at a low temperature and keep an eye on it so the heat doesn't climb too high.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 198 kcal | 396 kcal | 198 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6.9 g | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 6.6 g | 13.2 g | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32.1 g | 64.2 g | 32.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 51 mg | 102 mg | 51 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 154.5 mg | 309 mg | 154.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 198 kcal | 3.5 g | 6.6 g | 32.1 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g | 51 mg | 0.5 mg | 154.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 396 kcal | 6.9 g | 13.2 g | 64.2 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g | 102 mg | 0.9 mg | 309 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
