This is another recipe using kabocha. I had little bit of kabocha left in the fridge. Kabocha is good to be used for dessert because of its natural sweetness so I wanted to make something sweet with it.
When I lived in Japan, I liked steamed buns. They are usually low-fat and sometimes non-fat so I didn’t feel guilty eating them! Usually, steamed buns in Japan are made of regular flour and sugar and also butter or oil. This recipe is a healthier version – gluten-free, sugar-free and oil-free!
Today I put sweet red bean paste (anko) inside to make the buns even tastier but it’s optional. When you open a bun, you’ll see red bean paste.
Let’s begin!
- Soak almond for at least a few hours. After being soaked for a few hours, they become plump. The ones on the left are before soaking, and the ones on the right are after soaking.
2. Cut kabocha, peel and cooked with a small amount of water until it become soft. Don’t cut it too small. Otherwise, it crumbles.
3. Mash cooked kabocha with a folk while it’s hot.
4. Blend almond and 1/2 cup water (don’t strain)
5. Mix rice flour and baking powder
6. Pour almond mixture into rice flour and baking powder mixture and mix well. If it’s too dry, add more water. You want thicker consistency than pancake.
7. I used individual molds with cupcake baking cups.
Fill batter half way
Drop a small spoonful of sweet red bean paste (anko)
Fill up batter
8. I used a steam basket in a pot to steam the buns. Any steamers would work.
Steam for 12 to 15 minutes. When they’re done, the top will crack open a bit.
They have pretty yellow color from kabocha. You can taste kabocha. Almond makes these buns moist without adding any oil.
Sweet red bean paste (anko) goes well with this kabocha bun. It adds extra sweetness.
They can be kept at a room temperature to eat next day. If you don’t eat them next day, you want to keep them in the refrigerator. If they get hard, you can steam them again for a couple of minutes or microwave them. I hope you enjoy!
- 1.5 oz kabocha
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ⅛ cup almond
- ½ cup plus ⅛ cup water
- 2 large dates
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 oz, anko (sweet red bean paste)
- Soak almond for at least a few hours
- Cut kabocha, peel and cooked with a small amount of water until it become soft
- Mash cooked kabocha with a folk
- Blend almond and ½ cup water (don't strain)
- Mix rice flour and baking powder
- Pour almond mixture into rice flour and baking powder mixture and mix well. If it's too dry, add more water. You want a thick pancake batter consistency.
- Fill up cups with batter
- Steam for 12 to 15 minutes
Renae says
Hi there.I have to say i just love all of your recipes so much! It is so hard to find vegan japanese recipes.Which is such a shame because asian cuisine is my favourite.Also i love that your recipes are quite small.Its such a hassle making large batches all the time! I was wondering if i could make a request for a Taiyaki recipe or a Daifuku recipe please? Love your recipes!Thank you!!
admin says
Thank you for your comment. 🙂 I’m sorry for my late response. I’m glad you like my recipes. I will see if I can make tasty vegan taiyaki or daifuku.
Hiroshi says
Can I substitute the 1/8 cup almond for more rice flour? Is the baking powder absolutely necessary or will omitting it mess up the entire recipe? Thanks.
admin says
Thank you for your comment, and I’m sorry for my late response. When I was testing this recipe, I made the buns with all rice flour. I found they turned out to be too dense for me. Without baking powder, they become more dense. I like fluffier texture so I used it but you can omit it.
Renae says
please,please make a matcha cake! Your creations are the best in the entire world!
admin says
Thank you for your comment. Will work on the recipe. 🙂