Tag Archives: Sweetmeats

Japanese Gastronomy, Sweetmeats, Vegan cakes, Vegetarian Cakes, Wagashi

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi for Vegans/Vegetarians 2: Recipe-Anko/Sweetmeats/ Recette d’ANKO, pâte de haricots rouges.

February 24, 2020 dragonlife Leave a comment

One main ingredients in traditional Wagashi/Japanese Cakes is “anko/餡子” (or more simply “an”) which can be translated as “sweetmeats” or “bean jam”.

Actually few people know that it was first conceived and made in a temple in Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

I would like here to introduce a simple way to make one’s own “anko” at home:

INGREDIENTS:

Azuki/Adzuki/red beans (in Japanese: 小豆): 150 g
Sugar: 150g
Salt: a little

RECIPE:

a) Wash azuki lightly. Put in a large basin with an equal amount of water and turn on heat to high.

b) Bring to boil. If beans level is higher that of water, add water till beans are completely covered. Let simmer. Add water 2 or 3 times as soon as the water does not cover completely the beans and this until beans stop floating on water.

c) Drain beans, put them back into basin with same amount of water and turn fire to high. Repeat a) operation.

d) Cook as c) for 40~60 minutes.

e) Mash azuki beans lightly. Add sugar. Simmer and stir to mix, making sure the jam does not overboil.

f) Add a little salt (to your taste) and mix.
Let cool completely.
You can eat it as it is of course, but you will need it to make your cakes!
You can either sieve it to make it a very fine paste, sieve a part and mix it with the unsieved part, or use it as it is. In any case it will be easy to fashion!

Quand on parle de pâtisseries japonaises, on ne peut oublier de mentionner l’anko/餡子 (ou an en japonais). En français on dira pâte de haricots rouge, ici le vocabulaire français est plus limité que celui de langue anglaise, avec ses “sweetmeats”, “bean jam” ou “red bean jam” bien plus parlants.

Peu de gens savent que Shizuoka fut pionnière dans l’élaboration de cette confiture, à Okitsu, arrondissement de Shimizu.

Voilà une recette simple et efficace pour les grands et les petits.

INGREDIENTS:

Haricots rouges Azuki( en japonais : 小豆): 150 g
Sucre: 150g
Sel: un petit peu

RECIPE:

Lavez légèrement les haricots, mettez-les dans un récipient contenant à peu près la même quantité d’eau que d’haricots. Ensuite réglez le gaz sur “élevé”.

Quand l’eau sera en ébullition il faudra que les haricots soient totalement submergé, donc veillez à ajouter de l’eau si nécessaire. Laissez mijoter. Ajoutez de l’eau 2 ou 3 fois dés que les haricots dépassent de l’eau et jusqu’à ce qu’ils flottent légèrement.

Egouttez tout le monde et recommencer l’opération précédente.

Laissez mijoter entre 40 minutes et une heure.

Pour la suite il faut écraser légèrement les haricots. Ensuite ajoutez du sucre, et faites mijoter tout en remuant, attention à ce moment là que cela ne boue pas trop.

C’est à ce moment que l’on ajoute le sel, que l’on mélangera ensuite. Enfin laissez refroidir et ce sera prêt.

Vous pouvez déguster la pâte une fois finalisée, mais bien entendu le mieux est de l’utiliser dans des gâteaux, dorayakis, taiyakis etc…

Vous pouvez choisir aussi de la passer au tamis pour savoir si vous voulez garder la texture en morceaux, ou en faire une pâte plus fine !

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Vegan Japanese Dessert: Yomogi Kintsuba/”Mugwort Sabre Guard”

June 30, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

I visited JA (Japan Agriculture) Agriroad Supermarket in Miwa, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City this morning. Good exercise, as it is a 40-minute bicycle ride from my home up along the Abe River!

I had the pleasure to meet an old acquaintance, Mrs. Natsuko Koyanagi who works there on Wednesdays.
Actually she is one of the 15 out of a total of over 100 members of Agri Road working in shifts at the JA Agriroad Supermarket. All members are local farmer housewives who decided to form this association with subsidies from the Japan Agriculture Ministry as a “side business” to contribute to their husbands’ earnings. They grow their own food, flowers and cook take-away meals all sold at that supermarket. There are quite a few more in this city, all with a different name, but sharing the same purpose.

her specialty is making “Yomogi kin Tsuba” every Wednesday morning.
And I can tell you these do not stay long as they are freshly made in fornt of the customers who very often make personal orders through the phone early in the morning when she is prparing the batter and the sweetmeats!

Yomogi is mugwort.
Not to be confused with tujone, which was used to make the “Green Fairy”, aka Absinthe, which is now prohibited in its origanl form.
Mugwort grows almost everywhere in Japan and has been used as food and medicinal herb since immemrial times.
It is particularly rich in palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, Vitamin A, B1 and B2!
It is particularly popular as tempura and cakes.
It is first crushed and worked into a paste before being mixed with water and flour.
Now, Mrs. Koyanagi uses only “Chikona wheat flour”, that is flour from wheat only grown and ground locally ensuring for the best quality and back tracing.
Moreover, she makes her own anko/sweetmeats with strictly locally-grown azuki beans and sugar.
Nothing else! I can assure you that vegans couls feed on them all day!LOL

Now, why the name “kintsuba”?
Kintsuba means sword guard. It has three openings, the middle one for the blade, the other two for the pins to secure the same blade and guard together.

As explained above, Mrs. Koyanagi prepares her own batter to a sticky paste, solid enough to be able to wrap it around a ball of anko.
She will then drop the cake on a hot plate (coated with a little oil) and press it with her three middle fingers so as to attain the shape of a sword guard!
Important note: Mrs. Koyanagai wears medical gloves during the whole operation.
Actually, one more reason she makes these cakes is because she receives the visit of many Nepalese through her charity work abroad. As her Asian friends are most of the time strict vegetarians, it becomes a double pleasure for her to feed them!

Incidentally, yomogi kintsuba was a very popular cake with the samurais of old times!

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French Cake: Brioche aux amandes/Almonds Brioche

July 24, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

ALMOND-BRIOCHE

The French are so fond of their brioches that almosteach region has its own special one!
This recipe originates from the French Alps:
Brioche aux amandes/Almonds Brioche!

INGREDIENTS: for 6 persons

-For the Brioche:
Flour: 300 g
Sugar: 50 g
Fast leavening baking powder: 2 small regular packs
Milk: Half a cup/100 ml
Eggs: 4 medium-sized
Melted butter: 90 g
Salt: a pinch

-For the cream:
Soft butter: 60 g
Sugar: 90 g
Thick fresh cream: 60 g
Almond powder: 80 g
1 lemon peel/finely chopped

RECIPE:

-4 hours and 30minutes before baking, prepare the brioche pastry.

-Mix flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Then add eggs, melted butter and milk. Mix vigourously for 5 minutes.

-Cover bowl with a cloth and let the pastry rise in a warm place for 3 hours.

-After all that time, prepare the almond cream by mixing i a bowl, soft butter, sugar, fresh cream, almond powder and the lemon peel.

-Knead the brioche pastry again and shape small “bars”, 10 cm long and 3 cm diameter..

-Lay a large piece of cooking paper over the oven plaque.
Place the brioche bars 1 cm apart in a pattern of your choice. Pour the almond cream between them.

-Let the briche rise again in a warm place for 1 hour.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Best enjoyed with a hot chocolate!

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Japanese Dessert: Matcha Anko Roll/ Matcha Tea & Sweetmeats Roll Cake

July 23, 2009 dragonlife 9 Comments

MATCHA-ANKO-ROLL

The “East meets West” expression has been used so many times that it has almost become corny, but this particular (and simple) cake definitely deserves the appellation!
Matcha & Anko Roll Cake:

INGREDIENTS: for 8 cakes/2 sponge sheets baked in 15 cm square mold

-Eggs: 2
-Flour: 30 g
-Sugar: 30 g
-Matcha: 2 small teaspoons
-Anko/Sweetmeats: 15 g x 8=30 g (See Recipe here)

RECIPE:

-In a large bowl, break the eggs and mix the sugar, half at a time. Beat until the mixture turns whitish and fluffy. Only then add 1 tablespoon of water and mix.

-Add tea half at a time and beat it in.

-Place cooking paer inside an oven square mold and pour half of the cake mixture. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 8~10 minutes. Repeat with the second half of the cake mixture.

-Take the ckae sheet and its cooking paper out. Turn sheet upside down onto a piece of cellophane paper. Once completely cooled down, take the cooking paper out carefully. Trim the sponge cake and cut into four 5×10 cm pieces (three along and one across).

-Place a ball ofanko in the middle of each piece of sponge cake and “lock/wrap” the sponge cake around the anko. Press the ends togeteher to make sure tey don’t open again. If they keep opening seal ends with syrup.

To be enjoyed with cold or hot green tea!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 12: Recipe-Dango/Sweet Dumplings

June 21, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

DANGO-1a
(Mitarashi Dango)

This simple recipe is particularly dedicated to my friends at Bouchonfor2, Bread + Butter, Eeyoreblues 27 and The Sophisticated Gourmet!

Japanese dango are not complicated, although it might be better to make a lot at a time!

INGREDIENTS:
-Rice (“Uruchi Kome”/normal Japnese round rice): 200g
-Water (for dango): 130cc
-Water (for sauce): 60cc
-Cornstarch: 1 teaspoon
-Sugar: 1 teaspoon
-Soy sauce: 2 teaspoons

RECIPE:

DANGO-RECIPE-1

Wash rice thoroughly.
If rice is no-wash type, skip 3 first steps.

DANGO-RECIPE-2

Once the rice washing water is coming out clean, drain rice and spread ontowel. Take off all excess humidity.

DANGO-RECIPE-4

Let the rice dry for two hours.

DANGO-RECIPE-3

Pour rice in Blender/mixer. First work the blender for only a few seconds at a time until all the rice has been broken completeley. Then blend three times 15 seconds at a time.

DANGO-RECIPE-5

If the rice does not turn into powder easily, sift rice as many times as necessary until all rice has been reduced to powder.

DANGO-RECIPE-6

Finish the job with mortar and pestle.

DANGO-RECIPE-7

Once the rice has been reduced completely topowder, work the pestle in for 5 more minutes.

DANGO-RECIPE-8

Add water and mix well with spoon.

DANGO-RECIPE-9

Divide into small portions and steam for 15 minutes.

DANGO-RECIPE-10

In a pan add cornstarch to water (for the sauce). keep stirring over a low fire. once the water has been become transparent add sugar and soy sauce and mix well until you obtain a smooth syrup. take off fire.

DANGO-RECIPE-11

Fill a glass with water and keep within arm’s reach.
Drop all the steamed dango paste into mortar.
Work dango paste with a wet wooden pestle.
Once the paste ahas been become sticky and elastic, form small balls (the operation should not last more than 10 minutes).
Wet them to prevent them from sticking to each other.

DANGO-RECIPE-12

Push a wet (important!) stick through the balls (4 or 5 at the most).
Grill the balls (or not) for better effect.
Serve them smeared with syrup.

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 11: Dango/Sweet Dumplings

June 20, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

DANGO-1a
(Mitarashi Dango)

Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from mochi-ko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.
In Edo times, they were very popular at tea stands along the country roads.

Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. One variety of dango from Hokkaidō is made from potato flour and baked with shoyu (soy sauce).

Types of dango:

There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.

DANGO-2
Chadango: Green-tea flavored Dango.

DANGO-4
Dango served covered with anko

Actually, if you want to write all about Dango, you’d need to publish a whole book!

Chichi dango: Slightly-sweet light treats usually eaten as a dessert.

DANGO-1
Hanami dango: Also has three colors, Hanami dango is traditionally
made during Sakura-viewing season. Hence the name Hanami (Hanami means “flower viewing”; hana meaning “flower”, and mi meaning “to see”).

DANGO-1b
Kushi dango: Dango held by a skewer

DANGO-3
Mitarashi: Covered with a syrup made from shouyu (soy sauce), sugar and starch.

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Japanese Dessert: Kakigoori/Shaved Ice with Syrup

June 19, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

KAKEKOORI-1

Kakigōri (かき氷) is a very popular Japanese dessert made from shaved ice flavored with syrup.
It was served for the first time in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1869!

KAKEKOORI-2

Popular flavors include: strawberry, cherry, lemon, green tea, grape, melon, “blue-Hawaii” sweet plum, and colorless syrup. Some shops provide colorful varieties by using two or more different syrups. To sweeten Kakigōri, condensed milk is often poured on top of it.

KAKEKOORI-3

It is nearly identical to a snow cone but can have a slightly rougher consistency and a spoon is almost always used. The traditional way of making kakigōri involves using a hand cranked machine to spin a block of ice over an ice shaving blade. However, electric ice shavers are most often used, though street vendors can still be seen hand-shaving ice blocks in the summer.

KAKEKOORI-4

In addition to the streets, kakigōri is also sold in festivals, convenience stores, coffee shops, and restaurants. During the hot summer months, kakigōri is sold virtually everywhere in Japan. Some coffee shops serve it with ice cream and sweet bean paste. Convenience stores may also sell it already flavored and packaged similar to ice cream.

KAKEKOORI-5

In other countries in East Asia, similar varieties can be seen.

Halo halo: Filipino shaved ice topped with sweetened beans, nata de coco and ice cream. “Halo-Halo” literally means “mix-mix” in the Tagalog language. Some shops in Japan also sell these sweets.
Bingsu (빙수） Korean shaved ice. The most popular kind is patbingsu. It is topped with sweetened red beans, canned fruits, and soybean powder. Many other varieties can be found throughout the country.
Bàobīng (刨冰) in Mandarin Pinyin or Chhoah-peng (剉冰) in Taiwanese POJ: Taiwanese shaved ice. There are many varieties in Taiwan. Some of them are topped with fresh fruits, fruits syrup and condensed milk. Some of them are topped with sweetened beans, glutinous rice balls and brown sugar syrup, while others will even use seafood. Some vendors use milk ice to make finer shaved ice, and some vendors may sometimes use a hand blade to shave block ice in order to produce rough crushed ice.
Ice kacang: Malaysia and Singapore Shaved ice topped with sweetened syrup of various colours and flavours, condensed and evaporated milk, and sometimes also durian pulp or vanilla ice cream. Beneath the ice sweetened red beans, canned fruit, attap seeds and grass jelly are usually added. Electric ice shavers are often used; though some vendors may use a hand blade to shave the ice in order to produce a rough texture. A variation of this would be Cendol which is shaved ice with sweet green coloured glutinous rice noodles drizzled with palm sugar it is usually accompanied with kidney beans and canned sweetcorn.
Nam Kang Sai: Thai Shaved Ice. In Thailand, this kind of cold dessert is very popular as well. The differences from other countries’ shaved ice is that in the Thai version the toppings (mixings) are in the bottom and the shaved ice is on top. There are between 20-30 varieties of mixings that can be mixed in. Among them are young coconut that have been soaked in coconut milk, black sticky rice, chestnuts,sweetened taro, red beans, sarim (thin strands of cooked flour that is very chewy and slippery) and many more.

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 10: Youkan: Easy Recipe-Mizu Youkan

June 19, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

MIZU-YOKAN-1

Youkan come in many guises. Here is an easy and ver basic recipe for “Mizu Youkan” that you will be able to adapt into many creations of yours! For vegans, vegetarians and omnivores!

INGREDIENTS:
-Boiled azuki beans: 1 can (430 g)
-Brown sugar: 60 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Agar agar Powder (“kanten” in Japanese): 4 g
-Water: 300 ml + 300 ml

RECIPE:

MIZU-YOKAN-2

Blend beans and 300 ml of water until smooth.

MIZU-YOKAN-3

Pass mixture through fine sieve.

MIZU-YOKAN-4

In 300 ml of water drop agara agar. Bring to boil, stirring at the same time. Then keep stirring vern medium fire for 1 minute.

MIZU-YOKAN-5

Switch off fire. Pour sugar and salt. Mix well. Add bean paste. Mix well.

MIZU-YOKAN--6

Pour in recipients of your choice (that is when the fun starts!) and let cool completely. Keep in fridge (not too cold, please). Take out of recipient and serve!

More recipes to come!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 9: Youkan

June 18, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

YOUKAN-JELLY

Here is another popular type of Japanese Wagashi fit for Vegans and Vegetarians: Youkan!

YOUKAN-MIZUYOKAN
Mizu Youkan

Yōkan (羊羹) is a thick jellied dessert made of red bean paste, agar (寒天/”kanten” in Japanese, and sugar. It is usually sold in a block form, and eaten in slices.

There are two main types: neri yōkan and mizu yōkan. “Mizu” means “water”, and indicates that it is made with more water than usual. Mizu yōkan is often chilled and eaten in summer.
Although most yōkan found in Japan and abroad are typically made with red bean paste, yōkan made from white kidney bean paste (しろあん, 白餡, shiro an in Japanese) are also relatively common. This type of yōkan is milky and translucent with a much milder flavour than that made of red bean paste.

YOUKAN-GREENTEAYOUKAN
Tea Youkan

As such, they can be effectively flavoured and coloured by using green tea powder.

YOUKAN-TRICOLOUR

MizuyōkanYōkan may also contain chopped chestnuts, persimmons, whole sweetened azuki beans, figs, and sweet potato, among other additions. Sugar can be also be substituted with honey, dark brown sugar, or molasses to alter the taste of the yōkan produced. There is also shio yōkan, which uses small amounts of salt as a sweetener.

Other Pictures of Youkan:

YOUKAN-BICOLOUR

YOUKAN-CHERRY

YOUKAN-PINK

I will introduce an easy recipe soon!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 8: Recipe-Beni Mochi

June 18, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

BENI-MOCHI-1

Here is a simple Japanese Cake/Wagashi Recipe that can be adapted to all shapes by vegans and vegetarians! Beni Mochi.
Beni Mochi, or 紅餅 in Japanese, means “Red Mochi”.

INGREDIENTS: 16 pieces

-Rice flour: 250 g
-White sugar: 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for white mochi)
-Brown sugar (take care in choosing the colour): 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for red mochi)

RECIPE:

BENI-MOCHI-2

Divide rice flour into two equal parts (125 g) and pour into two different bowls.

BENI-MOCHI-3

In a deep pan, drop red sugar and add water. Heat over fire until completed melted. Switch off fire. Add rice flour and mix well.
Repeat same procedure with white sugar.

BENI-MOCHI-4

In a steamer, put mochi pastes (take care no to mix them) on a steaming paper and steam for 10 minutes.

BENI-MOCHI--5

Take out. Let cool. Make two balls and keep in different bowls.

BENI-MOCHI--6

Shape the mochi as above or according to your preference. Put them back inside the steamer on steming paper and steam for 10 more minutes.

BENI-MOCHI--7

Let cool and serve!
Are best enjoyed with Japanese tea, hot or cold!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 7: Creation 3-Hanabira Mochi

June 13, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

WAGASHI-HANABIRAMOCHI

Here is another traditional Japanese Cake/Wagashi: Hanabira Mochi (菱葩餅 in Japanese)!
Hanabiramochi is a Japanese sweet usually eaten at the beginning of the year. Hanabiramochi is also served at the first tea ceremony of the New Year.

The name “hanabiramochi” literally means “flower petal mochi”. The original form of Hanabiramochi is Hishihanabira, a dessert that was eaten by the Imperial family at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year.

Hanabiramochi was first made in the Meiji Era (8 September 1868 – 30 July 1912), but it is now a familiar New Year wagashi.

The exact shape of hanabiramochi is strictly defined by tradition. The white mochi covering is flat and round, folded over to form a semicircular shape, and must have a pink color showing through in the center of the confection, fading to a white at the edge. Unlike a daifuku the mochi must not completely seal the insides.

In the center of a hanabiramochi is a layer of anko, a sweet bean paste, commonly the white kind made from sweetened mung beans. In the very center is a thin strip of sweetly flavoured gobo (burdock root) which protrudes from the mochi on both sides.

Each element of the hanabiramochi is significant.

The red colour showing through the white mochi is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year but also evokes the Japanese apricot/plum (ume) blossom, which in turn represents the purity, perseverance, and renewal associated with the New Year.

The gobo represents pressed ayu, a fish exclusive to East Asia, and a prayer for a long life.

A vegan way to celebrate the New Year!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 6: Creation 2/Sakura Mochi

June 11, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI-2

Sakura Mochi (桜餅) is a variety of wagashi, or Japanese confectionery consisting of a sweet pink mochi (rice cake) and red bean paste, covered with a leaf of sakura (cherry blossom).

Sakura Mochi (桜餅) or Cherry Blossom Mochi has been popular all over Japan since the beginning of gastronomy in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The style of Sakura Mochi differs from the regions in Japan.
Basically, the east of Japan such as Tokyo uses shiratama-ko (白玉粉/ rice flour) and the west side such as Kansai uses dōmyōji-ko (道明寺粉/glutinous rice flour) for “batter”.

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI
Anko is folded inside a mochi sheet and again inside an edible cherry tree leaf.

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI-3

Here the anko is inside white mochi, then folded in cherry tree leaf and topped with an edible cherry flower.

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI-4

A smaller, very cute Sakura Mochi: the coloure mochi contains anko and is presented inside an edible cherry tree leaf.

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI-5

Sakura mochi as sold over the counter in the Kansai/West Japan Region.
They are also called Sakura Dango/Cherry Balls (no comment, please!LOL)

SIMPLE RECIPE
This recipe is for making Western-style sakuramochi. Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup red bean paste
red food coloring (optional)
8 sakura leaves pickled in salted water

PREPARATION:
Wash pickled sakura leaves and dry.
Boil water in a pan.
Mix glutinous flour in the water.
Cover the pan with a lid and leave it for 5 minutes.
Place a wet cloth in a steamer and put the dough on the cloth.
Steam the dough for about 20 minutes over medium heat.
Remove the steamed dough to a bowl.
Mash the dough slightly with a wooden pestle, mixing sugar into the dough.
Dissolve a little bit of red food color in some water.
Add some of the red water in the dough and mix well.
Divide the pink mochi into 8 balls.
Flat each mochi ball by hands and place red bean paste filling on the dough.
Wrap the filling with mochi and rounds by hands.
Wrap each mochi with a sakura leaf.

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 6: Creation 1

June 10, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-1

Here is an example of what could be done by a Japanese chef as Wagashi/Japanese Cake!
This particular Birthday Cake creation is the work of Chef Maeda at Kouseido in Osaka City!
Will look around and post other creations whenever I can!

Here is a breakdown of the above:

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-MOMO

“Momo”/Peach

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-MIKAN

“MIkan”/Orange

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-TSUBAKI

“Tsubaki”/Camelia

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-SAKURA

“Sakura”/Cherry Blossom

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-ICHIGO

“Ichigo”/Strawberry

WAGASHI-VARIETIES-MELON

“Meron”/Melon

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 5: Recipe-Kinako/Roasted Soy Beans Powder

June 8, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

WAGASHI-ABEKAWAMOCHI-2
Abekawa Mochi from Shizuoka, one served pasted inside red sweetmeats/anko and the others with kinako powder.

As promised here is a simple recipe for kinako/黄な粉, roasted soy beans powder, so often used with Japanese cakes/Wagashi!

MOCHI-KINAKO

Kinako (黄粉 or きなこ), also known as soybean flour, is a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In order to create the soybean flour, soybeans are toasted and ground into powder. Its flavor is commonly compared to that of peanut butter.

INGREDIENTS:
Soy beans: 1 cup (200cc)

RECIPE:

KINAKO-1
Discard beans showing broken skin or with an unusual colour.

KINAKO-2
To make sure of any taking away any humidity, put them inside a clean cloth sack and roll them inside your hands/fingers.

KINAKO-4
Use a pan with as thick a bottom as possible. Roast for 12 minutes above medium fire. Stir around with wooden spatula. The soy beans will emit their smell making small “noises” at the same time.

KINAKO-3
Transfer to a bamboo basket/zaru or a reipient with small holes to cool off.

KINAKO-5
Start slowly processing them inside a food processor/mixer, working 15 seconds at a time, 3 or 4 times. All the beans will probably not be reduced to powder. Transfer powder into earthenware mortar little by little until all the beans are reduced into powder.

KINAKO-6
Make sure you get an even powder by crushing it around with a wooden pestle.

KINAKO-7
Sieve powder through a fine strainer.

KINAKO-8
The powder obtained should be fragrant and almost sweet.

You can turn into a drink if you want to!
Milk: 1 glass, kinako, 2 tablespoons, sugar, 1 tablespoon.

Kinako should be eaten as soon as possible!

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 4: Recipe-Mochi

June 6, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

WAGASHI-SAKURA-MOCHI
Wagashi/Sakura Mochi

Here is a simple way to make mochi.
Bear in mind that mochi can be eaten fresh as it is especially with wagashi cakes and that it can be mixed with other ingredients for colouring. It can be aslo dried and grilled and also included in soups and other recipes such as mochi pizza!

INGREDIENTS:
Glutinous rice: 3 go (Japanese measure): 540 cc (2.8 cups)
Kinako (to taste)

Notes on kinako and glutinous rice:

MOCHI-KINAKO

Kinako, being composed of soybeans, is a healthy topping and flavoring which contains B vitamins and protein. It can also be used as a drink;. For example, warabi mochi is a famous kinako-covered sweet

I will introduce a recipe soon!

MOCHI-TRADITIONAL

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice) is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous (Latin glūtinōsus) in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten; on the other hand, it is called sticky but should not be confused with the other varieties of Asian rice that become sticky to one degree or another when cooked.

RECIPE:

MOCHI-1
Wash the rice and let it soak in water overnight.

MOCHI-2
Pour water in steamer. Bring to boil. Set a clean cloth inside. Drain rice. Pour rice inside cloth. Dig a “well” in the middle for better cooking.

MOCHI-3
Steam over a medium fire for 20~25 minutes.

MOCHI-4
Pour hot water inside pestle bowl and leave the wooden sticks inside water for long enough to have all of them well impregnated with water. Throw water away just before next step. This will insure a better mochi!

MOCHI-5
Check rice for an even cooking. No water should be left or the mochi will be runny. If you make a small quantity, softer rice than usual is better as it will tend to dry faster than a large quantity.

MOCHI-6
Now this is the hard part!
You will need three adults to press hard on the rice with the wooden sticks at the same time to crush the rice completely. It might take as long as 10 minutes.

MOCHI-7
Now that the rice has been softened, One can continue on his own or work in shifts. Pound the rice in the middle 10 times. Turn over the rice from outside to inside and continue always around the clock.
Important: always pound in the middle, never on the sides or you will break the bowl!

MOCHI-8
That is how it should look. Make balls by twisting rice out.

MOCHI-9
Roll mochi in kinako mixed with sugar to taste. They are ready to be eaten!

MOCHI-10
This is how are served in Japan for children (and adults!)

MOCHI-11
If you want to preserve them for a while before eating, roll them in rice powder. Rice powder will come in useful if you want to fashion the mochi into thin sheets or else.