This Vegan Anmitsu is the perfect colourful and refreshing summer treat - cubes of green matcha jelly, pillows of purple sweet potato mochi and sweet red bean paste paired with vanilla ice cream, all topped off with some sticky date syrup. Gluten-free and refined sugar free.
Add the water, agar, agave syrup and matcha powder to a saucepan and bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for a couple of minutes
Turn off the heat and pour into a large, shallow, flat-bottomed dish and leave to cool
Place in the fridge once cool and leave for at least a few hours until it sets
Cut into cubes and keep in fridge until ready to serve
For the purple sweet potato mochi:
Boil or steam the purple sweet potatoes until soft
Place them in a large bowl and mash with a fork
Add glutinous rice flour and water and mix well – it should form a sticky paste-like mixture that’s easily moulded into balls (add a tiny bit more water if necessary, but be careful not to add too much)
Mould the mixture into small balls
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add about a handful of the balls once the water’s boiled, leaving the pan on high heat throughout – it’s very important to wait until the water’s boiling and you mustn’t add too many at a time otherwise the temperature of the water will drop and they won’t cook properly!
Cook the balls in a few batches – they’ll be ready about 1 minute after they’ve risen to the surface of the water
Scoop them out with a spoon once they’re done and transfer to a bowl filled with cold water
Repeat this process until all the balls are cooked
Leave them in the cold water for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a dry bowl or plate
Keep in fridge until ready to serve
For the adzuki bean paste:
Place adzuki beans in a bowl with sweetener of choice and gently mash with a fork (the texture should be lumpy)
Adjust amount of sweetener according to taste
Keep in fridge until ready to serve
To serve:
Arrange the jelly, purple sweet potato mochi, adzuki bean paste and fresh fruit on a plate or in a bowl
Top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with date syrup
All elements of the Anmitsu keep well covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best stored separately