Rice Flour Oni Manju (Sweet Potato Steamed Cakes)
米粉鬼まんじゅう · Komeko Oni Manju
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Oni manju are chunky steamed cakes from the Nagoya area of Aichi Prefecture: a simple sweet batter packed with cubes of sweet potato, said to get their "demon" name from the way the potato pieces poke out like an oni's horns. This version is made with rice flour pancake mix and soy milk. It contains no egg or dairy, but it does contain wheat. Pancake mixes differ by brand, so check the allergen label on the one you use. The sweet potato cooks until tender in the steam while the batter around it turns soft and chewy, making a gently sweet snack that kids love to pick up and eat with their hands.
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
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
- 30 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.
- 30 grice flour pancake mixA Japanese pancake mix made mainly from rice flour. Not every brand is wheat-free, so check the package label if you are avoiding wheat. Substitute: Another pancake mix. Many mixes contain wheat, milk or egg, so check the allergen statement for anything you are avoiding.
Seasonings
- 3.5 gsugar
- 1.5 gbaking powder
- 30 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.
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.
- rice flour pancake mix (米粉のホットケーキミックス)
- A Japanese pancake mix made mainly from rice flour. Not every brand is wheat-free, so check the package label if you are avoiding wheat. Substitute: Another pancake mix. Many mixes contain wheat, milk or egg, so check the allergen statement for anything you are avoiding.
- 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
Cut the sweet potato into 1 cm dice and soak in water for about 5 minutes.
- 2
Put the rice flour pancake mix, sugar, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together.
- 3
Add the soy milk and sweet potato and mix until combined.
- 4
Pour the batter into a shallow tray or cups, arrange in a steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 180 kcal | 360 kcal | 180 kcal |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40.5 g | 81 g | 40.5 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 58.5 mg | 117 mg | 58.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 237 mg | 474 mg | 237 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 180 kcal | 2.4 g | 1.4 g | 40.5 g | 1.4 g | 0.8 g | 58.5 mg | 0.5 mg | 237 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 360 kcal | 4.8 g | 2.7 g | 81 g | 2.7 g | 1.5 g | 117 mg | 0.9 mg | 474 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.
