EAT: Japanese Kinako Doughnuts.

Recipe: Japanese Kinako Doughnuts (Vegan) - 黄な粉ドーナツ

I know, I’m so obnoxious. I don’t even eat a food unless it has at least three ingredients no one’s ever heard of in it. But, in all seriousness - this is kinako! Otherwise known as soybean flour, often eaten with Japanese sweets. I translated and adapted the recipe for these doughnuts a few months back and got super excited when I realised they were naturally vegan - tofu is used as a binder, to carry on the whole soy theme. You can easily make them from start to finish in less than twenty minutes, and eat them all in about twenty seconds (this is a wee tiny batch, cause they’re killer fresh but go doughy quickly). No shame. Plus, if you can’t find kinako, you could totally roll these in cinnamon sugar instead and be the happiest person on earth.

100g (3.5oz) plain / all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

80g (3oz) silken tofu

30g (1oz) white sugar

pinch of salt

To roll:

3 Tbsp kinako powder (soybean flour)

3 Tbsp white sugar

In a large bowl, whisk the tofu and salt together to break up, and beat in the sugar until smooth-ish and well combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and use a spatula to work the mixture together until the moisture has been absorbed and a dough has been formed.

Divide into twelve even pieces, and roll between your palms (you might want to dust your hands with flour) into 3cm balls.

Heat an inch or so of neutral (vegetable or sunflower) oil in a small frying pan to medium heat (170C, if you have a cooking or candy thermometer). Using a slotted spoon, lower the doughnuts gently into the hot oil. It will take about three minutes for them to cook; you want an even golden colour like in the picture above. I did this in two batches, and let them sit on some kitchen paper once I pulled them out, to get rid of any excess oil.

In a little bowl or dish, mix together the kinako powder and sugar (plus a little pinch of salt, if you like). Roll each little doughnut in the mixture to cover completely. Eat straight away.