Yaki Manju - Discover the sweet filled with beans and its Recipe

Yaki Manju is a traditional Japanese sweet, easily found on trays in the market. Yaki Manju literally means Grilled Manju, it is a bun filled with sweet azuki bean paste, on which floral designs are usually made before baking.

Manju originated in China and is derived from a type of mochi. It was originally known as Mantou, but in Japan, it became known as Manju. It is believed that this sweet was brought in 1341 by a Japanese person living in China, who began to make and sell this sweet under the name Nara Manju. Thus, Manju has over 600 years of history in Japanese cuisine and is considered one of the most popular sweets in Japan.

Remember that there are various types of manju, with different fillings. There are water (Mizu Manju), green tea (Matcha Manju), fried on a stick, and even with orange cream.

The Yaki Manju is quite popular in the province of Gunma, the video below shows some curiosities about Yaki Manju and its influence.

Embedded video (YouTube)

Yaki Manju Recipe

Now let’s go to a recipe! If you are interested in making your own Yaki Manju, see that it is not so difficult.

Ingredients

• Dough
• 1/2 cup(s) (tea) of sugar
• 2 unit(s) of egg
• 100 g of melted margarine
• 1 teaspoon(s) of baking powder
• 2 cup(s) (tea) of wheat flour

• Filling
• 1 cup(s) (tea) of washed and drained azuki beans
• 1 cup(s) (tea) of sugar
• to taste salt

• For greasing
• 1 unit(s) of egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon(s) of corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) of soy sauce

How to make the Dough

1. In a bowl, mix the sugar, eggs, and margarine;
2. Sift the wheat flour and baking powder;
3. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and egg mixture;
4. Mix well (the dough should be soft but firm enough to form small portions in your hand without sticking);
5. Shape small portions of dough in the palm of your hand, forming a small log;
6. Fill with 1 small ball of bean paste;
7. Shape another small log of dough and place it on top of the other dough covering the filling;
8. Press the edges to seal the bun well;
9. Trim the excess with a round cutter (this way the buns will be of uniform size);
10. Place the buns on a greased and floured baking sheet, leaving about 2 cm of space between them;
11. Then, brush the surface of the buns with a mixture made with the yolk, corn syrup, and soy sauce;
12. Bake in a medium oven (200ºC), preheated, for 25 minutes or until the surface is slightly golden;

Filling

1. Cook the beans in a pressure cooker with 4 cups (tea) of water for about 30 minutes after the pressure starts;
2. Release the pressure, drain, and pass the beans through a sieve, mashing well until you get a paste;
3. In a saucepan, combine the bean puree, sugar, and a pinch of salt;
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sweet detaches from the bottom of the pan;
5. Pour onto a plate and let cool;
6. Using a teaspoon, roll into small balls and set aside;
7. Tips: – If the dough is too soft, add a little more wheat flour;
8. The more flour added, the less delicate the dough becomes;
9. – This recipe can be frozen: wrap the cooled preparation in plastic wrap or a hermetically sealing bag, label, and place in the freezer;

Recipe taken from the blog “Panela Velha” and Cibercook