Otsukimi Dango-Style Sweet Potato Balls
お月見団子風スイートポテト · Otsukimi Dango-fu Suito Poteto
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Otsukimi, Japan's autumn moon-viewing, is when families set out round white dango to admire the harvest moon. In the preschool kitchen we make a snack-time version with mashed Japanese sweet potato instead of rice flour: soft, gently sweet, and easy for small hands to hold. A thin brush of honey after baking gives each ball a moonlit shine, and the natural sweetness of satsumaimo means only a little sugar is needed.
Contains honey, 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
- 75 gJapanese sweet potato (satsumaimo)A purple-skinned, pale-yellow-fleshed sweet potato that is sweeter, drier, and fluffier than orange varieties. Substitute: Any sweet potato.
Seasonings
- 1.8 gunsalted butter
- 3.6 gsugar
- 3.6 gskim milk powderMilk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
- 12 gwater
- 2.3 ghoney
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo) (さつまいも)
- A purple-skinned, pale-yellow-fleshed sweet potato that is sweeter, drier, and fluffier than orange varieties. Substitute: Any sweet potato.
- skim milk powder (スキムミルク)
- Milk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
Directions
- 1
Peel the sweet potato, cut it into thick half-moons, and boil until soft.
- 2
Mash while still hot, then add the butter, sugar, and the skim milk powder dissolved in lukewarm water, and knead until smooth.
- 3
Shape into round dango-style balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 4
Bake in an oven preheated to 190°C (375°F) for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, brush lightly with honey for a glossy finish.
For the final weaning stage (around 12 to 18 months), leave out the honey.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 142.5 kcal | 285 kcal | 142.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32.3 g | 64.5 g | 32.3 g |
| Fiber | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 69 mg | 138 mg | 69 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 351 mg | 702 mg | 351 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 142.5 kcal | 2 g | 2 g | 32.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.2 g | 69 mg | 0.5 mg | 351 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 285 kcal | 3.9 g | 3.9 g | 64.5 g | 4.2 g | 0.3 g | 138 mg | 0.9 mg | 702 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.
