AI-generated image
Jaga bata
Steamed potatoes with butter and soy
Jaga bata: Hokkaido steamed potatoes with butter and a drop of soy
Jaga bata is Hokkaido's simplest pleasure: whole steamed potatoes split open and topped with a slab of butter and a few drops of soy sauce, sold at Sapporo snow-festival stalls and summer street fairs, and made at home as a snack or side. The potato is floury and steaming, the butter melts into it, and the soy adds a savoury edge. The mistake is boiling the potatoes, which makes them watery so the butter slides off; steam them in their skins instead. Chef's tip: cut a deep cross into each hot potato and squeeze from the bottom so it bursts open like a flower to hold the butter.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 floury potatoesmedium, about 150 g each, scrubbed
- 1 ⅜ oz buttercut into 4 slices
- 2 tsp soy sauceuse tamari for a gluten-free version
- ¼ tsp flaky salt
- 1 spring onion (optional)finely sliced
- 1 pinch black pepper (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Set a steamer over a pan of boiling water. Put in 4 floury potatoes, cover and steam until a skewer slides into the centre of the biggest potato without resistance.
22 minStep 2: Cut a deep cross in the top of each potato, then squeeze the base with a cloth so the top opens up.
Step 3: Sprinkle with ¼ tsp flaky salt, lay a slice of 1 ⅜ oz butter on each and let it start to melt, then add a few drops of 2 tsp soy sauce. Finish with 1 spring onion and 1 pinch black pepper and eat hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jaga bata take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 22 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of floury potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Indian
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.