Learn to make Oshiruko, a candy and comforting Japanese dessert soup that can heat your physique and soul. This wintertime favourite is quick and straightforward to arrange at residence utilizing tremendous pink bean paste from the shop. It’s additionally beautiful when loved as a hot-cold combo year-round!
When the climate will get cool, I crave meals which might be heat and comforting. This goes for Japanese sweets, too. It’s no marvel that oshiruko (お汁粉) was a favourite wintertime dessert of mine rising up in Japan. I might by no means resist this candy pink bean soup, particularly throughout the colder months. A stomach stuffed with scorching oshiruko at all times warmed me up on a cold day.
I now dwell the place the local weather is cool a lot of the 12 months, so I’m blissful that I can get pleasure from this nostalgic and comfortable dessert year-round. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to whip up a scrumptious bowl of candy azuki bean soup at residence with store-bought substances. Let me present you ways with my Oshiruko recipe!
What’s Oshiruko?
Oshiruko is a standard Japanese dessert soup made with candy pink bean paste referred to as anko (餡子) and chewy glutinous rice flour dumplings referred to as shiratama dango (白玉団子). For a clean texture, we use a tremendous paste referred to as koshian (こしあん). This beloved dish is usually served heat throughout the colder months.
Its historical past in Japanese delicacies dates again to the Edo interval (1603–1868), when it turned extra in style amongst commoners as sugar turned extensively out there. At this time, we get pleasure from oshiruko each in on a regular basis residence cooking and for particular cultural occasions like New 12 months’s Kagami Biraki, Hinamatsuri (Japanese Woman’s Day), and Setsubun (Bean Throwing Pageant).
Oshiruko vs. Zenzai
What‘s the distinction between Oshiruko and Zenzai (ぜんざい, 善哉)? It is determined by the world of Japan! Since my mother is initially from Osaka, I grew up following the Kansai means.
Within the Kansai area (Osaka space):
- Oshiruko is clean pink bean soup with out complete beans.
- Zenzai is chunky pink bean soup with complete beans.
Within the Kanto area (Tokyo space):
- Oshiruko is any pink bean soup, both the graceful or chunky sort.
- Zenzai is not a soup; it’s dry mochi served with chunky pink bean paste.
Elements for Candy Purple Bean Soup
You solely want a number of substances to make this recipe:
- Anko (candy pink bean paste) — Use koshian (こしあん), a tremendous and clean pink bean paste; out there on Amazon or make my home made recipe.
- water
- Kosher salt — Elective, to boost the sweetness
- Shiratama dango — Small, chewy dumplings constructed from glutinous rice flour referred to as shiratamako; make them in quarter-hour utilizing my recipe.
Substitution Suggestions and Variations
You’ll be able to differ the feel and taste of your soup with these choices:
- Use tsubuan, a chunky-type anko, in order for you additional texture within the soup. When the soup has complete azuki beans, we name it Zenzai.
- Add chewy mochi items instead of shiratama dango. Toast or grill bite-size items of dried Japanese rice cake referred to as kirimochi; see how in my Zenzai recipe. It’s a great way to make use of your outdated new 12 months mochi or kagami mochi! You can even use freshly made or boiled mochi rice desserts.
- High it with Japanese flavors. In wintertime, attempt sprinkling kinako (roasted soybean flour), matcha (inexperienced tea powder), yuzu juice or zest, or kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) in your oshiruko. Throughout different seasons, add pickled cherry blossoms in springtime and chestnuts in autumn.
- Serve with ice cream or fruit. For a scrumptious hot-cold combo, add a scoop of ice cream to your heat oshiruko and serve with a small crispy waffle. For a refreshing twist, prime your heat soup together with your favourite chilled seasonal fruits like berries and peaches.
Easy methods to Make Oshiruko
It couldn’t be easier to make this soup utilizing ready pink bean paste.
- Combine equal components of koshian and water in a saucepan.
- Warmth till it reaches a delicate boil.
- Pour into particular person bowls.
- Add the shiratama dango to the bowls and serve.
Recipe Suggestions and Methods
- Add solely half the water to dissolve the anko. It’s simpler to do when you use much less water. As soon as it’s dissolved, add the remainder of the water and warmth the soup.
- Add a pinch of salt to the soup to carry out the sweetness of the anko. Whereas that is optionally available, I like to recommend it to boost the soup’s taste.
- Warmth the oshiruko on low warmth. The thick soup can swell and erupt immediately, splattering over the pot.
Easy methods to Retailer
- To refrigerate or freeze: Switch the soup to an hermetic container. Retailer it within the fridge for as much as 4 days or within the freezer for as much as a month.
- To reheat: Put together the shiratama dango or mochi proper earlier than you serve the oshiruko.
Easy methods to Make Advantageous-Paste Anko (Koshian)
Whereas I exploit store-bought anko for comfort, you can even make it from scratch with my Selfmade Anko or Strain Cooker Anko recipes:
- Take away the astringency from the dried azuki beans by boiling them briefly, then drain.
- Simmer the beans in a considerable amount of water in a pot on the stovetop.
- When a bean mashes simply between your fingers, it’s achieved. Drain.
- Mix the beans till clean. Cook dinner them with sugar and salt till thickened.
Easy methods to Make Shiratama Dango
It’s very straightforward to make shiratama dango at residence. You’ll be able to click on right here for the recipe.
What to Serve with Oshiruko
In Japan, we frequently serve oshiruko with a salty condiment to stability out the sweetness. It’s sometimes served with shio kombu (salted kelp) or umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums). You should buy shio kombu on Amazon.
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Oshiruko (Candy Purple Bean Soup)
Learn to make Oshiruko, a candy and comforting Japanese dessert soup that can heat your physique and soul. This wintertime favourite is quick and straightforward to arrange at residence utilizing tremendous pink bean paste from the shop.
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