Japanese-Style Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Sesame
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time25 minutes
- 2
Candied sweet potatoes, or daigaku imo, a favorite Japanese snack, inspired this recipe. To make daigaku imo, chunks of Japanese sweet potatoes, or satsuma imo, are deep-fried then coated in a syrup and sprinkled with sesame seeds. To make a side dish out of a snack, we simmer the potatoes in a skillet with water and seasonings, then cook off the moisture at the end, leaving the potatoes coated with a savory-sweet glaze. Common orange-fleshed sweet potatoes work in this recipe, but use Japanese sweet potatoes if you can find them. They have dry, starchy flesh and a sweet, chestnut-like flavor. If you like, garnish the potatoes with sliced scallions, shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend) or chopped fresh chilies.
Don’t raise the heat above medium while the potatoes cook covered. A moderately low temperature helps ensure even cooking without scorching. Also, sweet potatoes vary in water content depending on the variety. If you find that the moisture in the pan is gone before the potatoes are tender, just add a tablespoon or two of water as needed and continue cooking.
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