Pancakes, muffins, scones, etc., there are so many different kinds of desserts that are made of flour in the world.
Flour is a common ingredient for desserts and snacks in Japan too. In this article, we will share with you one of the snacks called "Obanyaki" that has been part of Japanese culture for approximately 250 years.
If you love sweet azuki bean paste, it's a perfect snack for you. At the end of this article, there is an easy Obanyaki recipe for you to try at home.
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What is Obanyaki?
Obanyaki is a round disc-shaped stuffed pancake made of flour, eggs and sugar (or honey) filled with sweet azuki bean paste.
It's been around for approximately 250 years in Japan. It was a popular street snack that children enjoyed back then.
Depending on the regions, Obanyaki goes by different names. In Kanto area, it is called Imagawayaki. In Kansai or Kyushu area, it goes by the name of Kaitenyaki.
In some regions, we called them "Oyaki," "Taiko manju" and "Jimanyaki." The names vary depending on the regions, but they are all cooked in the same way with the same ingredients.
Obanyaki is commonly stuffed with sweet azuki bean paste, but a variety of other fillings are offered, such as vanilla custard.
What does Obanyaki look like?
Obanyaki is a round-shaped snack that measures about 7 cm in diameter and 2 to 3 cm thick.
To make this shape, we use a special grill pan for Obanyaki.
You can make several pancakes using an Obanyaki pan, by pouring the batter into the holes. The Obanyaki pan works in the same way as Belgian waffle maker or Taiyaki maker in which you can cook the batter into particular shapes.
If you own an Obanyaki pan, anyone can make Obanyaki pancakes. We strongly recommend you to try this popular and authentic Japanese street snack at home.
In the next section, we will share with you an easy Obanyaki recipe that you can try.
How to make Obanyaki
We will show you how to make Obanyaki at home.
First gather the tools and ingredients that you need for making Obanyaki.
What you need to prepare for making Obanyaki
You need the following tools and ingredients to make Obanyaki.
- Cake flour … 140g
- Egg … 1
- Sugar (honey) … 30g
- Milk … 70ml
- Water … 70ml
- Sweet azuki bean paste … as much as you like
- Vegetable oil … a moderate amount
- A whisk
- An Obanyaki pan
- A metal pick
1. Make the batter
Mix an egg and sugar in a bowl. Slowly add cake flour, milk and water while mixing them with a whisk.
2. Pour the batter
Grease the Obanyaki pan with vegetable oil and heat it up. When the pan is heated, pour the batter into the holes. Fill only half the holes on the pan.
3. Add sweet azuki bean paste
After pouring the batter, add sweet azuki bean paste on it. Make the azuki bean paste into a round shape and press it with a hand to make it flat before placing it on the batter.
4. Cook the batter
Cook the batter for several minutes. Use a metal pick to lift the pancakes up to check the color on the bottom. When they have a nice brown color, you can move on to the next step.
5. Cook the batter for the covers
When the pancakes with filling have a nice brown color on the bottom, pour the batter to the rest of the empty holes on the pan. Those pancakes will be the covers. Lift the pancakes with filling and overturn them before placing them on the covers. Press it down gently and cook them until the covers also have a nice brown color on the bottom.
Enjoy your homemade Obanyaki!
Cheap and easy to make, Obanyaki is a Japanese signature snack made of flour.
If you own an Obanyaki pan and sweet azuki bean paste, you can easily make them any time at home. If you can't find sweet azuki bean paste, you can use other fillings such as vanilla custard instead.
For sweet azuki paste, you can use either mashed bean paste or smooth bean paste.
We hope you can enjoy Japanese traditional taste with homemade Obanyaki.
