There is a custom in Japan to eat “Ohagi” on the equinoctial week in spring. “Ohagi” is made by wrapping cooked glutinous rice with red bean paste. We are explaining to you how to make red bean paste and “Ohagi” step by step.
How to make red bean paste
Firstly, you make red beans paste. The necessary materials for 7-10 pieces are as follows.
- Red beans ….200g
- Sugar …..200g
- Water ….. Appropriate amount
- Salt ….1 pinch
1. Boil the red beans.
Put the washed red beans in a pan, add 600 ml of water and heat. When it boils, add 100 ml of water and heat it further.
2. Replace the hot water
When boiling is over, pour the red beans into a colander, drain the water and put it in the pot again. Then, add 600 ml of water, cover it with a lid, and continue boiling it for 10 minutes.
3. Boil it down
After discarding the hot water and washing the pot, put the red beans back in the pot, add 600 ml of water and heat it for 30 minutes.
When the water runs out on the way, add 100ml each and check what will happen.. When the water runs out completely, the red beans will get burnt. Please be careful not to make it burnt.
4. Complete it
When the beans become tender, add sugar and salt, mix gently to prevent the beans not to crush them, and simmer.
When the bean paste has the right viscosity, it is complete. Store it in a storage container and let it cool down.。
If there is too much water, the bean paste will be watery and not delicious, but if you remove too much water, the finish will be dry and unpleasant.
Check its proper viscosity so that it will not fall off even if you scoop the bean paste with a spoon.
Making “Ohagi” after cooling glutinous rice
Red beans paste is completed, then glutinous rice will be cooked.
1. Cook glutinous rice.
Add 200 ml of water to 1 go glutinous rice and cook with a rice cooker. In this case, adding 1 pinch of salt will enhance the taste of glutinous rice.
2. Crush glutinous rice
After glutinous rice is cooked, crush the rice with a pestle, etc. Do not crush it completely, but to the extent of about 1/3 to one half. Leave the texture and presence of glutinous rice to some extent.
3. Mold “Ohagi”
Put 40g of the beans paste on a food film, and widen it. Put one grip of glutinous rice at its center and mold it to a round shape with a film. Even if the beans paste does not cover the whole piece, you can correct it later.
4. “Ohagi” is completed.
Ohagi is completed after its shaping is finished
