JAPANESE HOME COOKING: Dumplings and azuki
beans make for homey treat
Bean dishes may seem to take a lot time and trouble.
“(But) since 'azuki' beans have thin skin, you can start cooking them right away, without soaking them in water,” says cooking expert Eiko Oba, who introduces a sweet treat with “shiratama” rice-flour dumplings.
A key is to bring the beans to a boil twice in fresh water to remove the bitterness. The dish may be enjoyed with ice cream or cooled in the refrigerator. Nutritionally, more than 50 percent of the weight of dried azuki, “ingen” and “endo” beans are carbohydrates, while 20 percent is protein. As for soybeans, 35 percent is protein and 30 percent are carbohydrates.
INGREDIENTS
For cooked azuki beans (amount easy to make):
200 grams azuki
200 grams sugar
Bit of salt
For dumpling and azuki dish (Serves two to three):
200 grams cooked azuki
1 cup shiratama powder
1/2 cup water
METHOD
To cook azuki, rinse and place in pot. Add plenty of water and bring to a boil without lid. Drain through sieve to remove bitterness. Repeat the process once again.
Return azuki to pot, add 600 cc water and bring to a boil. Lower heat so beans do not dance, cover with lid and cook for about 30 minutes. Add water if beans appear above surface.
When a bean squashes easily between fingertips, add sugar in one go. Cook over same heat for 10 minutes. If beans look overcooked, turn off heat and cook with residual heat.
Add salt and check taste. Turn off heat and cool in pot.
To make dumpling dish, place shiratama powder in bowl, add water leaving a little behind to adjust softness. Mix. Dough should be as soft as your earlobe.
Tear into same-sized pieces. Roll into a ball and push in the center to make a dent. Bring plenty of water to a boil and drop in dumplings. Keep heat high. When they float to surface, cook for a minute and remove. Drop in cold water.
When dumplings have cooled, remove immediately to keep them from turning watery. Serve in bowl and top with cooked azuki.
Estimated time to prepare: 75 minutes (60 minutes to cook azuki, 15 minutes to make dumplings)
Nutritional information, per serving: kilocalories, about 265; sodium content, 0.3 gram; fat content, 0.8 gram