This Matcha Gnocchi with Miso Butter Sauce is filled with the earthy goodness of Green Tea and the salty sweet umami of miso. It’s the perfect fancy plated dish for up coming fall dinner parties.
Cooking Goals
Do you know this feeling of utter satisfaction when you have this dish on the brain for ages and then you cook it like you imagined and it tastes and looks how you think it would? This was the dish for me.
I once went to a very popular San Francisco restaurant that shall remain nameless and they had a carrot mochi gnocchi on the menu. Anything with mochi in it I get excited about. We ordered it and it was just this huge bowl of gooey heavy dumplings that tasted like carrots with very little sauce. You guys know how much I hate my carrots. I left my husband to finish it off while I dreamed of my perfect Japanese style gnocchi dish.
Matcha Gnocchi
Originally I wanted to make the Matcha Gnocchi with rice flour, but I ran out. After some research on the google I found this recipe from Downshiftology. I adapted it with ingredients I had on hand and went to work.
You only need 5 ingredients to make the Matcha Gnocchi:
- Potato
- Almond Flour
- Arrowroot Flour
- Egg
- Matcha
With the potato I steamed it first and then let it cool and then grated it using a microplane. This keeps the potato nice and fluffy.
Mix the almond flour, arrowroot flour, matcha and some salt in a large bowl and then add in the potato. Lightly mix them together with your fingers. Kind of make monster fingers to lightly mix it all together. Reserve 1/4 of this mixture and set aside. You will use this to help coat the gnocci while you cut it later.
Create a well in the middle and add in a beaten egg. With a light hand again slowly start mixing in the egg with your fingers until the dough starts coming together.
Divide the dough into quarters and lightly dust a board with the flour reserve. Roll out the dough into thin logs and cut into one inch pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Once all the gnocchi is cut, dust with the remaining flour mixture then score each matcha gnocchi with a fork and let dry while you boil the water.
Cooking the matcha gnocchi is a two step process. First you need to boil it and then you lightly fry it to get a nice crust.
Fill a pot with water and season with salt. Bring to a rapid boil and cook the matcha gnocchi in batches. It takes about 2 minutes to fully cook them. Once they rise to the top they are done. Scoop them out right away or else they will turn into mush. Repeat with all the matcha gnocchi and then set aside for a moment.
Matcha Miso Butter Sauce and Crispy Shisho
With the sauce I wanted to add another matcha layer by adding it to the Miso Butter Sauce. Again the ingredients list is minimal.
- Chickpea Miso Paste
- Vegan Butter
- Matcha
- Black Sesame Seeds
- Water
To make the sauce place 2 tablespoons of the miso paste in a sauce pan and add in 1/4 cup of water. Mix until the miso paste has fully dissolved in the water and smooth. Add in 2 tablespoons of vegan butter on low heat. While the butter is melting, disolve 1 tablespoon of matcha powder in 1/4 cup of water and add that in the sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then add in 2 tablespoons of black sesame seeds. Set aside.
To make the crispy shiso leaves make sure they are dry and then lightly dust them with arrowroot flour. In a fry pan drizzle some sesame oil and fry the leaves in batches on low heat until crispy. Set aside.
Saucing and Garnishing the Matcha Gnocchi
Take a griddle pan and turn on medium heat and drizzle some sesame oil. Fry the matcha gnocchi in batches until it’s crispy, turning it on all sides. Add about a quarter of the Matcha Butter Miso sauce and let it soak in the Matcha Gnocchi, after about a minute or so you will notice the sauce start disappearing. Place the sauced gnocchi on a platter and repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
Gather the rest of the garnishes. I suggest some fresh radishes, shisho strips and an assortment of Japanese pickles to cut through the butter sauce and the heaviness of the matcha gnocchi. For a touch of crunch and heat I finished it with a topping of wasabi furikake.
Time to Plate the Matcha Gnocchi
In a small bowl place about 3 tablespoons of the remaining sauce on the bottom and then layer about 7 Matcha Gnocchi dumplings.
Add some radishes, fresh and crispy shisho, the pickles and sprinkle the wasabi furikake on top.
It is a labor intensive dish to make, but I say it’s worth making for the ones you love. It’s the perfect dish to make for the upcoming fall/winter dinner party season.
For other matcha recipes you can also try my Japanese Inspired Edamame Miso Hummus, Spring Time Vegan Veggie Miso Gratin or Step by Step Matcha Palitaw with Rosewater Black Sesame Sauce
This post is sponsored by Aiya Matcha, however all recipes, opinions and photography is all my own.