Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup)

Name: Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 cup ‘Azuki’ Beans (Red Beans); 1/2-1 cup Sugar; 1/8-1/6 teaspoon Salt; 4 Mochi (Rice Cakes) *OR Dango Dumplings, ‘Mochi Ice Cream’ is also good!

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

Melbourne, Australia

For those who love sweet Azuki (Red Bean) paste, which is a very popular ingredient for many sweets, I introduce a traditional Japanese sweet, ‘Zenzai’. In the region I grew up, ‘Zenzai’ is a sweet Azuki soup, often served with toasted Mochi (Rice Cake). Its smooth version made with ‘Koshi-an’ is called ‘Shiruko’, and I always prefer ‘Zenzai’. ‘Zenzai’ can be made with store-bought canned ‘Tsubu-an’, but it is so easy to make from scratch. Try this if you like Azuki.

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

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Ingredients

4 servings

1 cup‘Azuki’ Beans (Red Beans)
1/2-1 cupSugar
1/8-1/6 teaspoonSalt
4Mochi (Rice Cakes) *OR Dango Dumplings, ‘Mochi Ice Cream’ is also good!

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Steps

1

Place Azuki Beans in a large saucepan or a pot and cover them with a plenty of water, and cook until the beans are swollen and plump. Darin the water. *Soaking the beans in water overnight saves cooking time.
2

Return the beans back into the saucepan, cover with plenty of water again, and cook until the beans are tender.
3

Remove excess water OR add extra water to make the water level just enough to cover the beans. Add Sugar and Salt, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes.
4

Enjoy with Toasted Mochi (Rice Cakes) or Dango Dumplings. 'Zenzai' can be enjoyed hot or cold. *Note: Mochi Ice Cream is also good.