Zenzai

sudachirecipes.com

Japanese Red Bean Soup with Toasted Mochi

Zenzai is a sweet and comforting soup made with red adzuki beans and sugar topped with chewy toasted mochi. Make this warming winter treat from scratch at home with just 5 ingredients!

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Zenzai

Yield

4-6 servings

Type

Desserts

Time

1 hr 35 min

Level

Easy

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what you'll need:

» adzuki beans (red beans) » water » sugar » salt » kirimochi (or shiratama dango)

Wash the beans

Pour the adzuki beans into a sieve placed over a mixing bowl. Fill with water, swish, drain and repeat 2-3 times to wash the beans.

1

First boil

Transfer to a pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil over a medium heat and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2

Drain water

After 20 minutes, drain the water out. This will remove any astringency and give the zenzai a cleaner and more elegant taste.

3

Second boil

Return the beans to the pot and submerge in fresh water. Bring to a boil over medium and then lower the heat to a simmer.

4

Simmer with drop lid

Once the heat is lowered, place a drop lid on top and simmer for 40-70 minutes until the beans are soft all the way through.

5

Check

Check on the beans from time to time and remove any scum that forms on the surface of the water. Top up the water if necessary to ensure the beans are always fully submerged.

6

Test

After 40 minutes, check the softness by taking out one bean, running it under cold water and pinching it. It should be soft enough to spread across your finger like a paste. If it's still hard, continue to simmer and repeat the test every 10-15 minutes.

7

Add sugar

Once the beans are fully softened, add the sugar and mix until dissolved. Taste test and add more sugar if necessary.

8

Add salt

When you're happy with the sweetness, add a generous pinch of salt and mix.

9

Toast mochi and serve

Toast the kirimochi in an oven toaster (or use the broiler option on a regular oven) and place in a serving bowl. Pour the red bean soup around it and enjoy!

10

See the full post for more information about this dish plus tips and tricks to make delicious zenzai every time!