Ingredients
Potato cakes
Potato (peeled) : 300g
Sugar : 2 pinches
Salt : 1 pinch
Potato starch : 4 tablespoons
Sweet soy sauce
Water : 50ml
Soy sauce : 1 tablespoons
Sugar : 2 tablespoons
Potato flour : 1 teaspoons
(Water 1 tablespoon)
From this month, I will be featuring regional sweets from each prefecture of Japan. First is Hokkaido, where ‘Imo-mochi’ (potato cakes) are a traditional snack. Made from the potatoes which grow so abundantly in the area, they are usually eaten with a sweet-salty sauce. They can also be enjoyed with soy sauce and butter, sweet soy sauce and butter, or just butter.
You can find them on the menus of some izakaya here in Melbourne, where they are popular not just with Japanese customers but also with locals. They’re very easy to make, so enjoy some soft and chewy freshly-cooked Hokkaido potato cakes.
Method
Potato cakes
- Cut peeled potatoes into 2cm dice. Put in a heat-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then microwave for 6 minutes. Stick in a chopstick; it should go straight through the potato. Remove the plastic wrap and microwave for 1 more minute (photo 1).
- Mash potato while still hot, then season with sugar and salt (photo 2).
- When cool, add potato starch and mix well with hands (photo 3).
- Divide into 7 portions and form each into an oval about 1cm thick.
- In an oiled frying pan, cook potato cakes on one side then turn over. Cover pan and lower the heat, frying slowly so they cook right to the middle (photo 4).
Sweet soy sauce
- Thoroughly mix the soy sauce, sugar, and water in a saucepan, then bring to the boil.
- Dissolve potato starch in a tablespoon of water, then add to boiling sauce. Continue to stir over heat until thickened.
- Top the cooked potato cakes with the sauce.
