Kuri Kinton is a delightful sweet dish commonly enjoyed during New Year's celebrations in Japan. Its vibrant yellow adds a touch of brilliance and elegance to the menu, enhancing the celebratory atmosphere.
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What is Kuri Kinton?
Kuri Kinton is a sweet Japanese dish consisting of kuri no kanroni (chestnuts simmered in sugar syrup) combined with Japanese sweet potato paste. Kuri means chestnuts, and Kinton refers to golden-colored dumplings (in this case, mashed sweet potatoes). The beautiful golden color is believed to bring good luck, making it a popular dish for festive occasions in Japan.
While it is often categorized as a side dish, it is sometimes classified as a wagashi (Japanese traditional confectionery) due to its sweetness. With its satisfying portion, it serves as a perfect choice to curb hunger or cravings for something sweet. Enjoy it with both your eyes and your taste buds.
By the way, there is another wagashi with the exact same name, mainly consumed in Gifu Prefecture. However, this is a different sweet made with chestnuts and sugar.
To learn more about "Kuri no Kanroni."
The source of bright yellow
Japanese sweet potatoes have a yellowish color, but achieving the vibrant yellow of kuri kinton isn't possible with sweet potatoes alone. To attain this color, gardenia pods are necessary. Gardenia pods act as a natural dye for coloring, and when simmered with chestnuts, they turn the sweet potatoes a brilliant yellow.
However, there is also an opinion that dyeing the sweet potatoes a bright yellow is unnecessary, as kuri no kanroni, a primary ingredient in this dish, has a golden color.
This recipe includes a gardenia pod, but its usage is optional. Regardless of your choice, the flavor remains completely unchanged.
Ingredients
- 1 (10.6oz./300g) Japanese sweet potato
- 6 kuri no kanroni
- 1 dried gardenia pod (optional)
- 1.8 oz. (50g) sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp syrup from kuri no kanroni (A)
- 1 ½ Tbsp mirin (A)
- pinch of salt (A)
Step-by-step instructions
🕒 Total 45 mins
Step 1
Trim both ends of the sweet potato, then slice it into 0.8 inch (2cm) pieces, and then peel them thickly. Put the sweet potato slices into a bowl of water and let them soak for 10 minutes to remove the starch.
Step 2
Crack the gardenia pod using a knife handle or pliers. Put the sweet potatoes and the cracked gardenia pod in a pot, and add enough water (separate from step 1) to cover them. Bring the pot to a boil, and let the mixture simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Strain the contents of the pot through a colander, and remove the sweet potatoes. Use a fine-mesh strainer (or a coarse-mesh strainer or a blender) along with a spatula to puree the sweet potatoes.
Step 4
Put the pureed sweet potatoes and sugar into a pot, and cook over low heat while stirring with a spatula. Once they are mixed well, add A (syrup from kuri no kanroni, mirin, salt), and continue to stir.
Step 5
After stirring constantly with a spatula until the mixture becomes a smooth paste, add the kuri no kanroni. Cook for a few minutes until the kuri no kanroni is heated thoroughly.
To Store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips on how to make
- Peel the sweet potatoes thickly. Thoroughly removing the fibers between the skin and the flesh will give them a smooth texture.
- Puree the sweet potatoes. This process is crucial because it results in a smooth texture in the mouth.
Recipe Card
Kuri Kinton (Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Candied Chestnuts)
Ingredients
- 1 (10.6oz./300g) Japanese sweet potato
- 6 kuri no kanroni
- 1 dried gardenia pod (optional)
- 1.8 oz. (50g) sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp syrup from kuri no kanroni (A)
- 1 ½ Tbsp mirin (A)
- pinch of salt (A)
Instructions
- Trim both ends of the sweet potato, then slice it into 0.8 inch (2cm) pieces, and then peel them thickly. Put the sweet potato slices into a bowl of water and let them soak for 10 minutes to remove the starch.
- Crack the gardenia pod using a knife handle or pliers. Put the sweet potatoes and the cracked gardenia pod in a pot, and add enough water (separate from step 1) to cover them. Bring the pot to a boil, and let the mixture simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Strain the contents of the pot through a colander, and remove the sweet potatoes. Use a fine-mesh strainer (or a coarse-mesh strainer or a blender) along with a spatula to puree the sweet potatoes.
- Put the pureed sweet potatoes and sugar into a pot, and cook over low heat while stirring with a spatula. Once they are mixed well, add A (syrup from kuri no kanroni, mirin, salt), and continue to stir.
- After stirring constantly with a spatula until the mixture becomes a smooth paste, add the kuri no kanroni. Cook for a few minutes until the kuri no kanroni is heated thoroughly.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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