Japanese Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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This Japanese sweet potato gnocchi is vegan, gluten free, paleo, and not to mention, delicious! It’s a sweet yet savory, and soft yet crispy dish. This is an original, unique recipe that is sure to be a hit with friends and family! I like to serve it with baked brussel sprouts or broccoli.

How to Make the Gnocchis

In my personal experience, making sweet potato gnocchi is much less labor intensive than making regular potato gnocchi. You don’t have to use a peeler to peel the potatoes and you don’t have to dice them, like you do with regular gnocchi. Wrapping and putting these potatoes in the oven is the only thing required to get them ready for kneading! 

First, thoroughly wash the potatoes, pierce them with a fork a few times, wrap them in foil, and bake them at 400°F for about 60 to 90 minutes. The potatoes should be completely soft throughout when finished. Let the potatoes cool for 10-15 minutes after taking them out of the oven.

Once the potatoes have cooled, peel them with your hands. The skin should come off easily if they are cooked enough. Once peeled, place them in a big, sturdy bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork. Measure it out and make sure there is 1 ¼ cups of mashed potatoes. If you fall short, don’t worry! You can just adjust the amount of cassava flour you use. Alternatively, if you have too much, you can add more cassava flour.

Now it’s time to make the dough! Add ¼ cup of the cassava flour to the potato mash, and mix with a fork. Once mixed, knead the crumbs until it is completely combined. Add another ¼ cup of cassava flour at a time, kneading each time until fully incorporated. By the time the flour is used up, the dough should be soft and moist but not sticky. It may be a bit on the crumbly side – that’s okay. Compared to regular flour, cassava flour doesn’t form as cohesive of a dough. If the dough is still sticky, continue adding cassava flour 2 tablespoons at a time until it no longer sticks to your hands. 

Boil a large pot of water on high heat. I like to start the water boiling right when I’m done kneading the dough. The timing usually works out so that I’m not waiting for water to boil after the pieces are cut. To cut the dough, first divide it in half. Then, cut each half into four pieces, so there is a total of eight pieces of dough. 

Roll each of the eight pieces into a snake with your hands. Each snake should be approximately 1 inch in diameter. Because this dough is made from cassava flour, it’s a bit more difficult to work with. Try to press the dough together if it comes apart while rolling.

Cut each snake into bite sized pieces, about ½ inch to 1 inch wide. The pieces don’t have to be cut to the exact same size.

Add the gnocchis to the boiling water in two batches. Cooking them in batches ensures that you don’t overcrowd the pot. Stir each time you add a new batch to stop the gnocchis from sticking together.

When the gnocchis float to the top, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside. They won’t all float to the top at the same time and that’s okay – each one cooks differently.

When all the gnocchis have been boiled, heat the vegan butter (I use Miyoko’s) in a large pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the gnocchis to the pan, and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They should be a little crispy on the outside. Now add the kale, and cook until it’s wilted, about 1-2 more minutes. 

Plate the gnocchi and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and sunflower seeds if desired! I like to add the pomegranate seeds for some punch and color, and the sunflower seeds for a nice crunchy texture. 

You’ll definitely want to eat this meal while it’s hot. Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments below! 

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