Sekihan
Celebrate life's special moments with sekihan, a traditional Japanese dish that beautifully blends glutinous rice and tender adzuki beans, offering a subtly sweet and nutty flavor profile. Known for its vibrant reddish hue, thanks to the natural dye from the adzuki beans, sekihan is a symbol of good fortune and is often served at joyous occasions like weddings and birthdays. This simple yet meaningful recipe involves soaking the rice for optimal stickiness, carefully cooking the beans to retain their delicate texture, and topping the dish with gomashio—a savory sprinkle of black sesame seeds and salt—for added depth and crunch. Whether you're embracing tradition or exploring Japanese cuisine, sekihan is an elegant and nourishing dish that tastes as delightful as it looks.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice)
- 0.3333333333333333 cup adzuki beans
- 3.5 cups water
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt (for garnish)
Instructions
Rinse the glutinous rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Rinse the adzuki beans and place them in a small pot with 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain the beans and discard the water.
Return the beans to the pot and add another 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the beans are tender but still hold their shape. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking water.
In a rice cooker or a pot, combine the soaked rice (drained), cooked adzuki beans, 2 cups of the reserved bean cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir gently to mix.
If using a rice cooker, cook the rice on the 'white rice' or standard setting. If using a pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pot for another 10 minutes.
Fluff the cooked rice gently with a rice paddle or fork, mixing the beans evenly throughout.
In a small bowl, mix black sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the sesame-salt mixture (gomashio) over each serving of sekihan as a garnish before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
576 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 9.8 g | 13% | |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5 g | 8% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 3413 mg | 148% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 105.5 g | 38% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.0 g | 29% | |
| Total Sugars | 0.5 g | ||
| Protein | 16.3 g | 33% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 262 mg | 20% | |
| Iron | 4.5 mg | 25% | |
| Potassium | 495 mg | 11% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
