azuki

Nothing sounds better than a warm bowl of homemade Zenzai or Oshiruko (red bean soup) with toasted mochi! I’ll show you 3 ways to make this popular winter dessert in Japan.

Zenzai (Oshiruko) - Red Bean Soup with Mochi

azuki beans ((7 oz))

water

salt

sugar ((6 oz; typically sugar

3.5 oz red bean paste (anko)

water ((add more if you desire))

kirimochi

Gather all the ingredients.

★ Making Zenzai with Azuki beans (Makes 4-6) ★

Rinse the azuki beans carefully until water is clear. Discard any damaged beans that are floating. Drain water and transfer the beans to the pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot).

Add in 4 cups of water. Cover and lock the lid of your pressure cooker. Make sure the steam release handle points at “sealing” and not venting.

Turn on your pressure cooker and select High Pressure for 15 minutes (10 minutes if you prefer to keep the beans slightly firm). If you’re using an Instant Pot, press “Manual” or “Pressure Cooker”, select “high pressure” and adjust the cooking time.

If you are using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then reduce the heat to low to maintain the pressure for 15 minutes. 

When it’s done cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the “Keep Warm” mode. Let the pressure slowly release by itself for 30 minutes (Natural Release). Before opening the lid, turn the steam release handle to “Venting” and release any leftover pressure. If you’re using the stovetop pressure cooker, remove the pot from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.

Add salt and sugar into the pot.

Press the “Saute” button and select “Low” heat. Let the sugar dissolved completely, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

After cooking for 5 minutes, the soup will be a bit darker in color, too. Keep warm and start preparing the mochi (please scroll down).

Option 1: Pressure Cooker

Rinse the azuki beans carefully until water is clear. Discard any damaged beans that are floating and drain.

Put the azuki beans and water in a pot.

Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, put an otoshibuta (drop lid) over the azuki beans. Turn down the heat to medium-low and keep it simmering for the next 1 to 1.5 hours. Tip: Otoshibuta will prevent the beans from dancing around too much. You can make it with aluminum foil.

Water will evaporate so you need to keep adding water so the beans are submerged. After 1 hour, pick one bean and mash it with your fingers. If it is mashed easily, it&#039;s done. Otherwise, cook another 15 minutes and check. Add sugar and salt and let the sugar dissolved completely, stirring occasionally. Keep warm and start preparing the mochi (please scroll down).

Option 2: Stovetop Method

In a small saucepan, combine the store-bought red bean paste or homemade red bean paste and water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding or evaporating water. Keep warm and start preparing the mochi (see next step).

★ Making Zenzai with Red Bean Paste (Makes 1) ★

Cut the kirimochi into halves or quarters and place them in the toaster oven (or the oven). If you&#039;re using the fresh homemade mochi, add it in the soup to warm up. If it&#039;s frozen, then boil it in a pot till soft.

Toast the mochi until puffed up and nicely brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve the red bean soup and mochi in a bowl and enjoy!

★ To Prepare Mochi and Serve ★

Learn to make authentic Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream just like what you’d find in Japan! It’s the perfect treat for a hot day and only takes 3 ingredients to make.

Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream

¼ cup whole milk ((please use whole milk

sugar ((adjust according to your taste))

oz sweet red bean paste (anko)

tsp toasted black sesame seeds ((optional))

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and sugar.

Stir and heat the mixture on medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved, add the red bean paste.

Whisk the mixture until combined and turn off the heat.

Prepare ice water in a large bowl. Place the pot of red bean mixture in the ice bath and let the mixture cool completely. Then put the lid on and store it in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.

On the following day (or after 4 hours), set up your ice cream maker according to the instructions. My ice cream maker does not require freezing the bowl in advance but I need to run it for 15-20 minutes prior to making ice cream. If you have those, please make sure your ice cream bowl is frozen ahead of time. A bowl that isn’t completely frozen will take longer to freeze your ice cream and impact the finished product. If you make homemade ice cream on a regular basis, store your bowl in the freezer once it is clean. It will always be ready for your next batch of ice cream. If you don&#039;t have an ice cream maker, check out here.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine. Make sure not to fill it more than about ⅔ of the way up. Start churning. Churning ice cream incorporates air into the finished product while it freezes, so you will need some extra room in your freezer bowl.

The mixture will become thicker and creamier, about 25-30 minutes.

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and flatten it with the silicone spatula. Cover the lid and put it in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Set freezer temperature to the coldest setting, so the ice cream freezes faster. Optional: Lay plastic wrap directly on top of ice cream and press down gently to prevent ice crystals from forming on top of the ice cream.

Serve the ice cream and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Sekihan literary means “red rice” in Japanese because the rice is red from cooking with azuki beans. It’s a traditional dish served during the New Year, births of babies, birthdays, festivals, weddings, or any kind of celebration.

Sekihan (Red Bean Rice)

azuki beans ((½ rice cooker cup, ½合))

water ((for cooking beans

sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome)

½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt ((for cooking the rice))

½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Rinse ⅓ cup azuki beans in the strainer under cold running water and drain well.

Put the azuki beans in a large pot (with a tight-fitting lid) with 1½ cups water.

Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and drain the beans over the strainer.

Put the beans back in the pot and add 3½ cups water. Bring it to a boil.

Once it‘s boiling, turn down the heat to low/simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes. Note: If your azuki beans are old, no matter how long you cook them, they won‘t become tender. So, make sure the beans are fresh. The beans will continue to cook with the glutinous rice, so they should be tender but don‘t have to be 100% cooked at this stage. I personally prefer the beans to have some texture instead of being mushy. Please adjust the cooking time for the beans accordingly.

Check the doneness of the beans by mashing one bean between your two fingers. As I prefer the beans to have some texture, when I test the bean, the texture should still be somewhat firm, not completely soft. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, roughly 1 hour. The beans will continue to cook with the remaining heat.

To Cook Azuki Beans

Once the azuki beans and azuki-cooking liquid come to room temperature, separate them. You will use the azuki-cooking liquid to cook the rice. You must have 540 ml cooking liquid. If you don‘t have enough, add water so you‘ll have exact 540 ml.

To Measure the Rice Cooking Liquid

In a large bowl, place 2¼ cups sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome). Add water to submerge it and quickly discard the water.

Add water and gently rinse the rice 3 to 4 more times until the water is clear. Unlike regular white rice, sweet rice breaks easily, so be gentle when you rinse.

For one last time, add water to the bowl and drain the rice into the strainer. Drain and shake off the water well.

To Rinse the Rice

Add the drained rice and 540 ml azuki-cooking liquid to the rice cooker bowl. The liquid should be at the 3-cup line for Sweet Rice. If your rice cooker does not have Sweet Rice mode, your liquid should be less than the 3-cup line for White Rice.

Add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and mix well together.

Add the beans on top and evenly distribute but try not to mix with rice. Rice cooks evenly when it‘s not mixed with other ingredients.

Press start to cook. Once it‘s done cooking, keep the lid closed for an additional 10–15 minutes.

To Cook the Sekihan in a Rice Cooker

Add the drained rice and 540 ml azuki-cooking liquid to the pot or donabe.

Cover the lid and start cooking on medium-high heat until boiling, roughly 8–10 minutes.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low/simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat (so the bottom doesn‘t get burnt) and let it steam for an additional 20 minutes.

To Cook the Sekihan on the Stovetop

Mix 1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. This is called gomashio (ごま塩).

Fluff the rice gently. Insert the rice scooper perpendicularly, lifting up the rice from the bottom (see the next step).

Then, break it up with the rice scooper perpendicularly, as if you‘re cutting it. Repeat the same process until all the rice at the bottom of the pot is fluffed. Serve to individual rice bowls and sprinkle gomashio on top. Enjoy!

To Serve

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for a month.

To Store

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCvsPWEDtx0

Sekihan or Red Bean Rice is a traditional rice dish served on happy occasions in Japan. Glutinous rice is cooked with azuki beans till chewy and tender and topped with a sprinkle of salt and black sesame seeds.

PRINT RECIPE ▶ https://www.justonecookbook.com/sekihan-japanese-azuki-beans-rice/

INGREDIENTS

▢⅓ cup azuki beans (½ rice cooker cup, ½合)
▢1 ½ cup water (for cooking beans #1)
▢3 ½ cup water (for cooking beans #2)
▢2 ¼ cups sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome) (3 rice cooker cups, 3合, 540 ml)
▢½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt) (for cooking rice)
For Serving
▢1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds (or use gomashio, which is the combination of black sesame seeds and salt)
▢½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)


INSTRUCTIONS with step-by-step pics ▶ https://www.justonecookbook.com/sekihan-japanese-azuki-beans-rice/

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How To Make Sekihan (Red Bean Rice) (Recipe) 赤飯レシピ (作り方)

How To Make Sekihan (Red Bean Rice) (Recipe) 赤飯レシピ (作り方)

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