Kinpira Sweet Potato (さつまいものきんぴら) is braised sweet potato seasoned with Soy Sauce and sugar, just like Kinpira Gobo or Kinpira Carrot. This is a great small side dish that goes very well with any kind of entree, fish or meat. Or make it as a snack to have with tea in the afternoon.
Kinpira usually means Kinpira Gobo which is braised burdock root and carrot cooked in a sweet and salty sauce, but here we made it with Japanese sweet potato. Japanese sweet potato has yellow meat with purple skin, and it is quite dense and sweet when cooked. The American counterpart, often called a yam, has orange flesh, is less starchy than the Japanese kind, and has more water content. It is much easier to find Japanese sweet potatoes at local stores today, and you can most likely find them at American supermarkets. If you can’t try any Asian market.
Like other potatoes, it takes some time to soften when cooking Japanese sweet potatoes. But if it gets cooked too soft, it will break and be mushy, so take care not to do so. Sweet potato cooked through will hold the match stick shape, and it has a pleasant texture in this dish.
This is another mom’s home cooking kind of dish rather than restaurant food. Kinpira Sweet Potato is a perfect side dish you can make ahead. This can be kept in the fridge up to a week. It’s a convenient side dish for Bento lunch and busy weekday dinners when you want one more thing for the menu. Japanese sweet potato is best in fall and winter. Try this dish in its season for a fall touch to your next meal!
Kinpira Sweet Potato Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 oz Satsumaimo, Japanese sweet potato
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sake
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seed
Instructions
- Slice sweet potato into thin rounds, and cut into matchsticks. Soak in water in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain water and remove moisture as much as possible.
- Heat a frying-pan with oil at medium heat, add potato, and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add water, cover, turn down heat to medium low, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir gently so that potato is not going to break into small pieces. Once all the liquid is gone, add sesame seeds, and remove from heat.
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