Sekihan or red bean rice is a festive rice dish I remember my mother made when there was a new baby born, a young couple got engaged, for birthdays or other celebratory occasions. As a child growing up in Japan, I didn’t particularly like the taste of sekihan because it wasn’t sweet, but I knew and would eat it because it was served for happy occasions. I have made sekihan to share with friends and found to my surprise that there are others who have similar memories and associate sekihan as being a rice dish served to celebrate happy occasions. Here is a sekihan recipe to make, share and enjoy for your next celebration.
Shared by Shirley Kodani
Prepare the and cook the beans (asuki)
- Soak 1/2 cup Japanese red beans (azuki) for a minimum of 2 hours
- Rinse and cover with water and boil
- Drain the water and add fresh water and boil again
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
- Take off the heat and let it cool and then drain and save the bean water
- Measure 1 1/2 cups of bean water (if needed add water to make 1 1/2 cups)
- Add 1 teaspoon salt to this liquid
Prepare the rice:
- Wash 3 cups of sweet rice until water runs clear and soak for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight
- Drain the water
- In a large non-stick wok or deep frying pan heat the 1 1/2 cup bean liquid that had been saved
- When it starts to boil add the drained rice and cooked beans
- Keep stirring until all of the water is absorbed
- Remove from heat and transfer to a steamer which is lined with a wet cheese cloth
- Steam on high heat for 20 minutes
- Serve with gomajio (toasted sesame seeds mixed with salt)
Enjoy!
