Sekihan : Sticky Purple Bean Rice　

Sekihan, or ‘osekihan’ or ‘crimson rice’, is a conventional rice dish in Japanese delicacies. It’s constructed from glutinous rice and azuki beans giving it a tender and chewy texture, distinctive flavour, and signature crimson tinge. This basic crimson color has made sekihan a staple meals for particular events like New Yr, birthdays, and different celebrations. It’s a well-liked kind of rice in Japan and will be served as a part of a comforting meal at house in addition to to rejoice pleased occasions!

What’s Sekihan?

Sekihan is a conventional Japanese dish constructed from sticky rice and azuki beans. The phrase ‘sekihan’ interprets to crimson rice due to the signature crimson color the rice has from the crimson beans (azuki beans). Due to its crimson color which symbolises happiness, success, and auspicious beginnings, sekihan is commonly eaten when celebrating particular or pleased events. For this reason it’s a part of the ‘Osechi Ryori’ New Yr’s feast eaten in Japan when bringing within the new yr. Though it’s related to celebrations, sekihan can be eaten everyday and will be discovered as pre-packaged rice balls (onigiri) in comfort shops and supermarkets in Japan. 

The crimson beans not solely add the basic colouring of the rice but in addition convey a barely nutty barely candy flavour. The rice used can be usually known as candy rice, however sekihan will not be candy. It has a novel flavour however is a savoury dish particularly because it’s often seasoned with a sprinkle of salt and black sesame seeds.

Substances utilized in Sekihan

Listed below are the substances generally used to organize sekihan.

1. Glutinous Rice: Also called sticky or candy rice, glutinous rice has a excessive starch content material that provides sekihan its attribute stickiness. This is identical kind of short-grain rice that’s used to make mochi (rice cake) so it’s sticky and really filling. That’s why additionally it is known as ‘Mochigome’. The rice grain color may be very white not like odd rice grains, that are clear. This kind of rice will be purchased from Asian grocery shops or on-line Mochigome. Learn extra in “The way to make Mochi” publish.

2. Azuki Beans: These small reddish-brown beans are a staple ingredient in lots of Japanese sweets. It’s often made right into a paste known as Anko and used as a filling for varied varieties of mochi, dorayaki, and different desserts. However in sekihan it’s savoury. The beans additionally present a wealthy crimson hue to the dish when cooked. 

4. Sesame Seeds and Salt: Toasted black sesame seeds and a little bit of salt are often sprinkled on prime of the sekihan on the finish.

Mochigome (glutinous rice) and Azuki beans, can these days be present in outdoors of Japan. In Australia (and different nations), they are often present in Asian or Japanese grocery shops or within the Asian meals aisle of standard supermarkets.

Directions

Listed below are directions for easy methods to effortlessly put together scrumptious sekihan utilizing each a stress cooker and an Immediate Pot. Whichever you utilize, the method is just about the identical as follows:

1. Wash the rice, drain the water and go away the drained rice to the facet (or you are able to do this step whereas the beans are cooking).

2. Wash azuki beans and drain the washing water.

3. Set water and azuki beans within the stress cooker/immediate pot and prepare dinner the azuki beans.

4. Launch the stress, and open the lid, and scoop up the water with a ladle and pour it again in a number of occasions to oxidise the beans. Proceed this step a couple of occasions to verify the color comes out later within the rice.

5. Then add rice and salt into the stress cooker/immediate pot.

6. Prepare dinner all for 3 minutes.

7. Launch the stress naturally.

8. Open the lid and stir the rice and serve with a sprinkle of salt and black sesame seeds.

Widespread Events to Serve Sekihan

Sekihan holds a big place in Japanese tradition and is commonly served on joyous and particular events similar to New Years, birthdays, weddings, or festivals due to its celebratory crimson color. My mum at all times makes this rice for New Yr’s and our birthdays as a result of she is aware of how a lot all of us like it.

What to serve with Sekihan

• Miso Soup: Easy miso soup with tofu and seaweed or extra hearty soup with added seasonal greens like spinach or mushrooms goes effectively with sekihan.
• Pickles (Tsukemono): Tangy and crunchy pickles like radish and cucumber are a basic facet dish in Japan and complement sekihan completely. 
• Grilled Fish: Delicate white fish similar to sea bream or mackerel pairs effectively with the refined flavours of the crimson bean rice. 
• Simmered Greens: A facet dish of simmered greens like carrots, daikon radish, lotus root, or bamboo shoots in soy sauce-based broth (nimono) is ideal together with sekihan.
• Tempura: Flippantly battered and deep-fried greens or seafood tempura make for a pleasant distinction when served alongside sekihan. Widespread selections embrace shrimp tempura, candy potato tempura, and eggplant tempura.
• Chawanmushi: chawanmushi is a wonderful accompaniment to sekihan, as its easy and custard-like texture balances the sticky rice texture.

Suggestions for Making Sekihan

• After we prepare dinner odd rice in a rice cooker, we let the rice grain soak up some water earlier than cooking it in order that when the rice is cooked it’s tender. Nonetheless, don’t go away glutinous rice in water if you will use a rice cooker or a stress cooker, as a result of the water absorption fee of glutinous rice is greater so there finally ends up being not sufficient water to prepare dinner it or should you add water to prepare dinner, it finally ends up soggy.
• Historically, the rice is cooked by steaming, once we didn’t have stress cookers. If you will determine to prepare dinner this dish within the conventional manner, it’s worthwhile to soak the rice in water for 6-8 hours and if the rice is previous, it must be soaked for longer. Then drain the soaked liquid and steam prepare dinner the rice.
• It’s necessary so as to add the salt on the proper time when cooking. Don’t add the salt to the Azuki Beans. The salt makes the azuki beans agency and won’t be cooked correctly. The salt must be added when cooking the rice (after the beans have cooked).

In case you appreciated my recipe for Sekihan Azuki bean rice, please fee it and go away a remark under. Additionally, don’t neglect to comply with me on Youtube, Pinterest, Fb and Instagram to maintain updated with all the newest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t neglect to make use of the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I see your fantastic creations!

Sekihan- Azuki Bean Rice

Uncover the standard Japanese crimson bean rice ‘sekihan’ made with glutinous rice and vibrant crimson beans – a logo of celebration and happiness!

Course: Rice, Rice dish

Delicacies: Japanese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 40 minutes minutes

Whole Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 individuals

Energy: 240kcal

Writer: Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles

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Directions

Directions for Instapot

• Wash the azuki beans and drain out the water.

• Add 2 & ½ cups of water and the azuki beans in a stress cooker. Shut and lock the lid and set the Instapot.

• Press [Pressure cook] then use the [+] [-] button to set 10 minutes and press [Pressure level] button to set low stress. *1

• Whereas stress cooking the Azuki beans, wash the glutinous rice and drain the water.

• When the stress cooking time is up, launch the stress immediately, by urgent [Cancel] on the entrance panel after which turning the steam launch on the lid to “Venting” place.

• Open the lid and scoop up the water with a ladle and pour it again in. Proceed this step a couple of occasions to verify the color comes out later within the rice.

• Add the washed rice and the salt. Shut and lock the lid and set the instantpot.

• Press [Pressure cook] then use the [+] [-] button to set 3 minutes and press [Pressure level] button to set low

• When time is up, let the Instapot proceed to prepare dinner utilizing the cooker’s residual warmth and steam by urgent [Cancel] and anticipate the stress to come back down naturally (takes about 20 minutes).

• As soon as all of the stress has launched, stir the rice (with out mashing or over-mixing) then serve with the sprinkled black sesame!

Directions for stress cooker

• Wash the azuki beans and drain out the water.

• Add 2 & ½ cups of water and the azuki beans in a stress cooker, lock the lid and prepare dinner over excessive warmth.

• When the stress indicator pin rises, flip the warmth all the way down to low and prepare dinner for 10 minutes.

• In the meantime, wash the glutinous rice and drain water.

• Launch the stress within the cooker quickly (as per the directions of your stress cooker).

• Open the lid and scoop up the water with a ladle and pour it again in.

• Proceed this step a couple of occasions to verify the color comes out later within the rice.

• Add the rice and the salt and put the lid again on and prepare dinner it over excessive warmth and anticipate the stress pin to rise once more.

• As soon as the pin rises, flip the warmth all the way down to low and go away for 3 minutes.

• Flip the warmth off and permit the stress to launch naturally.

• As soon as all of the stress has launched, stir the rice (with out mashing or over-mixing) then serve with the sprinkled black sesame!

Video

Notes

*1 Be certain that the steam launch deal with is about to “Sealing”
*2 For stress cooker consumer the instruction is strictly similar besides easy methods to set the Instapot.
*3 Including salt order is necessary. Don’t add the salt to the Azuki Bean. The salt makes azuki bean agency and won’t be cooked correctly.
 

Diet

Energy: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fats: 0g | Saturated Fats: 0g | Ldl cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.2mg