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Daigaku imo (candied sweet potato)
Crisp-edged sweet potato chunks in a sticky soy-sugar glaze with black sesame
Daigaku imo, 'university potatoes', got their name from the Tokyo student cafés of the early 1900s, and today they are what Japanese parents fry when autumn sweet potatoes arrive and children come home hungry. The chunks are crisp at the edges and fluffy inside, coated in a glossy glaze that sets to a light crackle, with nutty black sesame on top. This version uses a modest amount of sugar balanced with soy sauce. It contains soya, gluten (soy sauce) and sesame. Chef's tip: pull the pan off the heat the moment the glaze turns thick and bubbly; a few seconds more and it hardens into toffee.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb sweet potato1 large, scrubbed, unpeeled
- 4 tbsp vegetable oilfor shallow-frying
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp black sesame seedstoasted
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut 1 ⅛ lb sweet potato into rough 3 cm chunks by rolling it a quarter turn between diagonal cuts. Soak the chunks in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat completely dry; wet potato makes the oil spit.
5 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potato in one layer and fry, turning every few minutes, for 12–15 minutes, until golden on all sides and a skewer slides into the centre with no resistance.
15 minStep 3: Tip the potato onto kitchen paper and wipe most of the oil out of the pan, leaving about a teaspoon.
Step 5: Return the potato, toss quickly to coat every piece, then take the pan off the heat. The common mistake is cooking the glaze too long: it should look like runny honey, not amber toffee.
1 minStep 6: Scatter over 1 tsp black sesame seeds and spread the pieces on a plate lined with baking paper so they don't stick together. Let them cool for 5 minutes; the sugar is very hot straight from the pan.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does daigaku imo (candied sweet potato) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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