Name: Azuki Bean Rice
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 cups short-grain sushi rice (2 Japanese cups(180ml each) or 1.5 US cups (237ml each)); 2 level Plain water + azuki water (Water level for 2 cups rice or 1.65 US cups of water); 1/4 cup dry azuki beans (50 g); 1 teaspoon salt (you can reduce to 1/2 teaspoon)

Detox with Azuki Magic

March 19, 2017 by KozmoKitchen Leave a Comment

Azuki beans (in the US often spelled “adzuki”) are the stars of Japanese traditional confectionery, used as in sweet bean paste or sauce. Or we have “Sekihan”, steamed sweet rice and azuki beans. Sekihan is served mainly on celebretory occasions. When we are so excited with great news, we shout, “We should celebrate with sekihan!”

These days, it seems that the health benefit of azuki is getting more attentions in Japan. Azuki is known to be super rich in polyphenol, fiber, and saponin, among other good things. And people started using azuki more on non-dessert recipes in Japan.

I have an upcoming in-home cooking class at a client’s home next week and was asked to include an azuki recipe. What a great timing to introduce the power of Azuki!

This is Azuki bean rice, not quite the same as Sekihan. Used to be a substitute for white rice, when people couldn’t afford white rice (my mother says it reminds her of the war time), but nowadays it’s considered a healthier choice for everyday rice options. And Azuki rice works with brown rice too!

Azuki rice recipe is here.

Azuki Bean Rice

March 19, 2017 by KozmoKitchen Leave a Comment

Azuki Bean Rice

Rice is a staple ingredient in Japanese cooking and can be served plain (unseasoned), or cooked and seasoned with other ingredients. Azuki is sometimes cooked with sweet rice to make Sekihan, which is often served on celebratory occasions, but Azuki rice can be your everyday rice choice!

Course

Rice

Cuisine

Japanese

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain sushi rice 2 Japanese cups(180ml each) or 1.5 US cups (237ml each)
2 level Plain water + azuki water Water level for 2 cups rice or 1.65 US cups of water
1/4 cup dry azuki beans 50 g
1 teaspoon salt you can reduce to 1/2 teaspoon

Course

Rice

Cuisine

Japanese

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain sushi rice 2 Japanese cups(180ml each) or 1.5 US cups (237ml each)
2 level Plain water + azuki water Water level for 2 cups rice or 1.65 US cups of water
1/4 cup dry azuki beans 50 g
1 teaspoon salt you can reduce to 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

Rinse the rice well in running water until the water runs clear.
Strain rice and put it into an electric rice cooker or deep heavy pan such as a Dutch oven.
Rinse and strain azuki beans. Cook them in boiling water for a few minutes and discard the water. Add clean water into the pan and cook azuki over low heat for about 1 hour or until the beans get al dente consistency (i.e. the center of the beans can be uncooked). Separate the beans and the cooking water. Save the azuki water.
Combine the azuki water and plain water to make up to the 2 cups line in the rice cooker or add 1.65 cups of water to the Dutch oven. Add salt and azuki beans.
Rice cooker: Cook the rice with azuki as you normally cook white rice.
Dutch Oven: Cook over high heat to bring to boil, then put the lid on, turn down to simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, with the lid on, let it sit for 15 minutes.
Use a spatula to fluff the rice and toss it well with the other ingredients.
You can sprinkle sesame seeds over rice and enjoy!

Share this Recipe

You Can Have Your Sushi Roll and Eat It

March 7, 2017 by KozmoKitchen Leave a Comment

I am picky. I am greedy. Talking about food, of course 🙂

There are times when I crave California rolls and want “something else” too.

So here it is, I made up my dream bento – Sushi combo, with my favorite potato croquette (or any deep fried dish to be honest), Yasai Nimono (root vegetable stew), Sunomono (refreshing salad with vinaigrette), Renkon Kimpira (sweet and spicy lotus root), and Tamagoyaki! A perfect balance meal!

My husband proved this was a good combo by scarfing it down in a few minutes in front of my eyes. It’s the stamp of approval right there!(Well he might be a bit biased as a result of my brainwashing him over the years).

You should try it and let me know what you think! Any feedback is super appreciated! Order Sushi Combo Bento here! The meal pick-up is on March 15.

Not another Teriyaki you know

March 4, 2017 by KozmoKitchen Leave a Comment

Teriyaki is a traditional Japanese recipe and is widely enjoyed at home as well as at restaurants. However if you image the type of teriyaki you know from neighborhood teriyaki joints, you might find the Japanese teriyaki less…sweet.

The recipe calls for sugar, yes, but not to make the sauce syrupy. It should be a good balance of soy sauce and sweetness coming from sugar or mirin. Additionally, teriyaki originally was the sauce mainly for fish in Japan. Fatty fish such as buri (yellowtail) is most popular for this type of cooking, but salmon is also a favorite for Japanese teriyaki.

Living in the Northwest, salmon is the most accessible fish these days, so I picked the fish for my teriyaki bento. I am hoping many of you will enjoy the dish along with many good vegetable dishes.

And I really want to highlight those wonderful vegetables that I selected for the bento.

I was excited to start seeing asparagus on the produce isle at supermarkets and couldn’t help grabbing a bunch for “shiraae”, a traditional salad with creamy tofu and sesame dressing. Feel the spring!

Also I made a dish with lots of good root vegetables such as gobo (rich in soluble dietary fiber), carrot, satoimo (a Japanese taro that enhances your immune system), dried shiitake mushrooms (wonderful source of Vitamin D). The detox vegetable stew!

Do not forget by players for the salmon. Lotus root is a wonderful source of fiber (and another immune system booster), shishito pepper (source of Vitamin C), and cabbage (source of vitamin C and fiber!).

And any bento should come with rice. I used Nishiki new crop and mixed with edamame and black sesame seeds. Yum.

Wow, you can get a perfectly balanced meal from this bento. Hope you can enjoy my salmon bento next week!

Order my bento at https://www.josephine.com/meals/authentic-salmon-teriyaki-bento.

The meals of the week – Doria and Hamburger Steak!

February 26, 2017 by KozmoKitchen Leave a Comment

My first couple of experiences with Josephine have been great. Both Tonjitu + rice balls and Karaage bento were sold out, and I got very positive reviews at both Josephine and Nextdoor.

This week is a Yoshoku week. Yoshoku is a Japanese style Western food, and it’s the core of the Japanese comfort food culture. If you go visit Japan, you’ll be stunned to see how many yoshoku restaurants are around in town.

Doria is one of the all-time yoshoku favorites. It’s basically rice gratin with bechamel sauce and cheese on top of the casserole. If you still don’t have an idea what it is like try my chicken doria through Josephine this week on March 1!

Also, hamburger steak is VERY popular. For most Americans salisbury steak might sound more familiar. If you ask Japanese kids if they like ham urger steak I could bet that 99% would say YES! So I decided to make a bento with a hamburger steak, with no-so-sweet teriyaki sauce and ponzu relish. How could it be more Japanese? 🙂 The bento will be available on March 3 through Josephine.

I hope you will enjoy the flavors of the Japanese comfort food Yoshoku at my kitchen!

Detox with Azuki Magic

Azuki Bean Rice

You Can Have Your Sushi Roll and Eat It

Not another Teriyaki you know

The meals of the week – Doria and Hamburger Steak!

About Kanako

Recent Posts

LINKS

About Kanako

Contact Me

Recent Posts

LINKS