Andagi Dog Recipe
Andagi dog (sometimes called andadog) is a cross between the Okinawan donut sata andagi and an American corn dog. It is popular at Japanese American summer festivals in southern California and can also be found at some festivals in Hawaii.
What is an Andagi Dog?!
You know corndogs and you (maybe) know the Okinawan donut sata andagi, but have you ever had them fused together? Their offspring is the famed andagi dog, available only at select summer festivals held by the Japanese American and Okinawan American communities. I know that they appear in Hawaii, but they also appear in my native southern California obon festivals. I have not seen them at the Seattle ones, unfortunately.
The crispy, golden brown outside dough of the corndog is made from donut batter while the inside, of course, contains a hot dog. It’s really a better corndog. There, I said it.
About Andagi
If you’re not familiar with sata andagi, they’re a donut from Okinawa that comes in the shape of donut holes, about the same size of a golf ball or ping pong ball. A true andagi contains Okinawan black sugar. Up until recently, this was pretty difficult to acquire, so many people in the US use white sugar or brown sugar as a substitute. However, black sugar (called kokuto in Japanese) has now become available on Amazon! The owner of this Okinawan sugar company reached out to me to let me know that their authentic black sugar can now be easily purchased in the US. I’ve tried it myself and it is DELICIOUS. If you can, I highly recommend you give it a try.
Many andagi recipes also use cake flour for its lower protein content. I’ve found that when making corn dogs… it really doesn’t matter that much.
If you’re looking for an andagi recipe the way immigrants to America made it for their summer festivals, I have it in a blog post here.
General Corn Dog Tips
I buy my skewers at Daiso. They work well for corn dogs and for various skewered dango.
It also helps to have a tall, clear glass to pour your donut batter into. Pat your hot dog dry before dipping it in the batter as well, so the batter will stick.
Lastly, I recommend using a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of your hot oil. I fry at 340 degrees F, which is a slightly lower temperature than I typically deep fry. However, the batter is so thick that it takes a little bit longer to cook the insides, and you don’t want the outside to burn.
More Summer Festival Recipes
Looking for more foods you may find at Japanese American summer festivals like Bon Odori? Check these out:
Andagi Dog (サーターアンダギーアメリカンドッグ)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 250g
- 1/2 cup sugar, 100g
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk or evaporated milk, 118mL
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- oil for deep frying, amount varies depending on your pot
- 6 hot dogs
Equipment
- digital thermometer not required but recommended
- 5" skewers
- cast iron skillet or other vessel for deep frying
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot to 340 degrees F.
- While oil is heating, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Don't overmix, but make sure no dry pockets of flour remain. Pour batter into a tall glass.
- Thread hot dogs onto your skewers.
- When oil is ready, pat down each hot dog with a paper towel to wipe off moisture or the batter will not stick. Dip the hot dogs into the glass of batter. You may need to dunk them several times and swirl them around to get an even coating on all sides.
- Gently place battered hot dogs into your hot oil. Fry for 5 minutes, using chopsticks or tongs to flip them halfway through to make sure they fry evenly. You may have to fry hot dogs in batches depending on the size of your deep fryer. Leftover batter can be used to make balls of regular sata andagi.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Andagi dogs taste best fresh, but leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- If you can’t find the right size skewers or you don’t have a skillet or wok big enough for deep frying, you can make mini andagi dogs with mini sausages.
