Moments of pure pleasure: dorayaki

Dorayaki are sweet and fluffy Japanese pancakes filled with azuki red beans, but they are also known with a filling of custard, chestnuts and matcha tea.

The soft pancake filled with azuki jam goes very well with the hot and slightly bitter Japanese green tea.

Dorayaki was originally made of a single layer; today's form has two layers and was invented in 1914 by Ueno Usagiya.

The origin of the name of the dessert seems to derive, due to its shape, from the “gong”, in fact “dora” in Japanese means “gong”. It is said that a samurai named Benkei forgot his gong at the house of a farmer where he was hiding, and that he used it to prepare the first dorayaki, from which the name derives.
In Kansai, the sweet is known as mikasa, and in Nara the mikasa model is 30 cm in diameter.

Dorayaki are the favorite dish of Doraemon, the robot cat protagonist of the manga series of the same name. The name of the robot cat, contrary to popular belief, does not derive from dorayaki, but rather from noraneko, meaning stray cat.

Now that we have given a very brief description of the succulent dorayaki, let's proceed with the list of ingredients and the steps for the preparation step by step.

What do we need?

o 4 large eggs 

o 2/3 cup sugar 

o 2 tablespoons of honey

o 120g all-purpose flour 

o 1 teaspoon baking powder

o 1-2 tablespoons of water 

o 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)

o 500g azuki red bean paste

Ready to cook?

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and honey and beat well until frothy.

2. Sift the flour and yeast into the bowl and mix everything together, then leave to rest for 15 minutes.

3. The batter is now softer. Mix and add 1 tablespoon of water. The water to use can vary from 1 to 2 tablespoons.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, dip a napkin in vegetable oil, and grease the bottom of the pan. Use the napkin to wipe away the oil completely, so the tops of the dorayaki will be evenly browned. Ladle 3 tablespoons of 3-inch (8-cm) batter into the pan to create 3-inch (8-cm) pancakes.

5. When you see the surface of the batter start to bubble, flip it and cook the other side. Ideally it takes about 15-30 seconds to cook one side and about 20-30 seconds on the other side. Transfer to a plate and cover with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. There is no need to re-oil the pan, so you can continue making the dorayaki.

6. Make a ball with the red bean paste and place it in the center of the pancake so that the dorayaki shape is curved.

Advice

Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a cool place for 2 days. They can also be placed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for a month.
Now all you have to do is prepare a delicious cup of green tea to enjoy with your pancake.