Japanese Pancakes and Sweet Bean Paste
Dorayaki and Anko
Wa-Gashi is the Japanese term used to call the traditional Japanese sweets or confectioneries. The word translates to ‘natural beauty’. The idea was first introduced before the 1800s. This Japanese sweet is typically composed of natural-based ingredients extracted from plants. This dessert can be served best with green tea to give a perfect blend.
There are various types of Wa-Gashi, but the most common kind are made from mocha, azuki bean, or red beans and fruits, along with rice flour and sugar. Anko — a Japanese word for sweet red beans — is one classic ingredient in making wa-gashi as well. You’ll find it mainly in those sweets that are made with fillings. This sweet red bean can be used as a filling for taiyaki (a carp-shaped cake), manju (a steamed cake), or dorayaki (a pancake) because it’s so sweet. Among these, dorayaki is the most famous wa-gashi, or Japanese sweet.
Most of the Japanese usually take dorayaki as their breakfast meal because of its texture, taste, and flavor– aside from being delicious. To give you the opportunity to taste this Japanese sweet for yourself, let me give you the steps in making one.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white flour
- 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
- 2/3rd cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- 12 oz anko
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients. These materials are widely available; even the sweet azuki beans can be procured at any Japanese bakery or cake outlets. You might even find them in your local supermarket if it has a good Asian cuisine section.
- Crack the egg into a bowl and beat it. Add the sugar then whisk together.
- Dissolve the baking soda into the water. Add them into the egg and sugar mixture.
- Add the sifted flour gradually. Properly whip the mixtures until you see it will become a dough-like consistency. Let it stand for several minutes.
- Heat a skillet or hot plate. add a little oil to grease the bottom.
- Pour measured dough using an ice cream scoop or a small cup into the skillet to form a small pancake. On a low heat, wait for the pancake to take shape when bubbles begin to appear on the upper surface of the pancake.
- Flip the pancake over in the pan, wait until cooked, and then remove and allow it to cool. Place the anko in between pancakes like a sandwich, and it is ready to serve.
