Glazed Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Daigaku Imo)
With a crisp sesame candy coating and a tender, fluffy interior, this Daigaku Imo (大学芋) is an easy Japanese sweet potato recipe that makes for a delicious afternoon snack or sweet side dish for a Japanese meal.
Ingredients
- 450 grams sweet potato satsuma imo, Japanese variety
- vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup (80 grams)
- 20 grams cane sugar about 2 tablespoons, evaporated
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the 450 grams Japanese sweet potatoes and cut them rangiri by cutting off a chunk at a 45-degree angle from one end and then turning it 90 degrees and cutting another at a 45-degree angle. Repeat until you've cut all of the tubers into pieces that are roughly the same size and thickness.
- Soak the cut pieces in cold water to keep them from oxidizing.
- Preheat a pot with 2 inches of Vegetable oil to 340 degrees F or 180 C.
- Rinse and drain the sweet potato pieces and then put them in a frying pan along with the ¼ cup water. Cover with a lid and steam over medium-high heat until almost no boiling water remains.
- Open the lid, let any remaining water boil off, and then transfer the sweet potatoes into the hot oil.
- Fry these until they're golden brown (about 5 minutes), turning them over regularly to ensure they brown evenly.
- When the sweet potatoes are almost done frying, add the ¼ cup brown rice syrup and 20 grams evaporated cane sugar to the pan you used for steaming and start heating the mixture to dissolve the sugar.
- Transfer the fried pieces directly from the oil into the glaze and toss them around in the syrup to coat them evenly. If the mixture has gotten too sticky to glaze, you can add a spoonful of water to loosen it up. Add the 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds and toss to distribute evenly.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 263kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 44g | 15% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 78mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 385mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 15960IU | 319% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 58mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.