Recipe: Perfect Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup)

Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup). Zenzai (ぜんざい) is a traditional Japanese dessert soup made with azuki beans. This sweet red bean soup is served hot with mochi (rice cake) or shiratama dango (glutinous rice Slightly sweet, with a gentle fragrance from the red beans, the dessert soup has the instant magic of warming up one's soul. Zenzai is sweet Azuki red bean soup with baked Mochi or Dango in it.

Anko (sweet red bean paste) is the crucial ingredient for traditional Japanese confectioneries. Japanese zenzai is an unusual dessert which combines thick red bean soup with mochi, the famous sticky rice cake. It can be made by boiling dried red beans or (Japanese Sweet Red Bean Soup, Red Bean Porridge, 善哉, Oshiruko, おしるこ, ぜんざい, Shiruko, 紅豆汤, Soba Zenzai, Patjuk, 팥죽). You can have Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup) using 4 ingredients and 4 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup)

1. It's 1 cup of ‘Azuki’ Beans (Red Beans).
2. It's 1/2-1 cup of Sugar.
3. You need 1/8-1/6 teaspoon of Salt.
4. You need 4 of Mochi (Rice Cakes) *OR Dango Dumplings, ‘Mochi Ice Cream’ is also good!.

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'. Zenzai is a very traditional Japanese dessert made with azuki beans and mochi, or glutinous rice cake. If you've never had azuki, or sweet read bean before, the idea of beans in a dessert might sound a It pairs really beautifully with the chewy, springy texture of mochi, and is served with a sweet "soup". Zenzai is the name for mochi dumplings, also known as "dango" made in a soup of sweet red beans (azuki).

Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup) instructions

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..

It is an ancient Japanese recipe believed to dispel illness. I happened to eat it in a Bento box at Mitsuwa Marketplace and fell in love! Get the ingredients at a Japanese grocer; Mochiko. Zenzai (Sweet Azuki Soup) 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).