Oni Manju Chunky Sweet Potato Steamed Cakes

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Oni manju is a rustic Aichi sweet that packs one-centimeter cubes of sweet potato into a thick wheat-and-rice-flour batter, mounds it on paper, and steams it.

The rough potato corners protruding from each cake are said to resemble an ogre's horns or iron club, giving the confection its name. During wartime and the difficult years afterward, readily available sweet potatoes and flour made it a filling substitute for rice; it later settled into farm life as an inexpensive snack. The cut potato is soaked in cold water to remove surface starch, dried, and coated with sugar first so it releases enough moisture for the batter. Sifted cake flour and non-glutinous rice flour enter with only a little water, creating a mixture that barely binds the abundant cubes. Four generous mounds steam for fifteen minutes. With no bean paste, the appeal is the potato's own sweetness and the dense pleasantly chewy crumb between pieces.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
sweet potato	200	g
cake flour	80	g
non-glutinous rice flour	20	g
sugar	60	g
water	35	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Peel 200g sweet potato thickly and cut into 1cm cubes.

Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, swish and rinse twice, drain, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2

Season

Coat the sweet potato evenly with 60g sugar and rest 15 minutes.

When clear potato liquid collects at the bottom, keep it in the bowl for the batter.
3

Prep

Sift 80g cake flour and 20g rice flour together twice.

Fold them into the potato, then add 35ml water in two portions and mix only until no dry flour remains.
4

Prep

Cut four 10cm squares of baking paper.

Divide the mixture among them in rough mounds about 4cm high, distributing the potato cubes evenly.
5

Control

Bring ample water to a strong steam and line the steamer with a damp cloth.

Add the paper-mounted cakes, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for 15 minutes.
6

Finish

Insert a skewer into the thickest part and confirm no raw batter clings and the potato is tender.

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve warm or let cool completely.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Made with 200g one-centimeter sweet potato cubes
Finish cue: Insert a skewer into the thickest part and confirm no raw batter clings and the potato is tender.
Avoid this: Do not discard it or the cakes may become dry.
Substitution: During wartime and the difficult years afterward, readily available sweet potatoes and flour made it a filling substitute for rice; it later settled into farm life as an inexpensive snack.
Storage and reheating: Cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve warm or let cool completely.