Osekihan (Azuki Red Bean Sticky Rice)

For those who have been married for a long time, do you remember the day when you started dating your partner? 

 

In Japanese culture, when two people start dating for a romantic relationship, we have a small proposal so it’s obvious to remember. For the proposal, the one may ask the other to come to a place, or in the middle of conversation while having a cup of coffee together, the one suddenly stops talking. And, when the other wonders what’s going on, the one stares at the other’s eyes and asks “Can you go out with me?” (*Don’t say cheesy! This is just an example, but it’s typical and all you need to say is ohhhhhhh or ahhhhh with clapping your hands.)

 

I’m originally from Japan, but as I’m living in the US and my husband has a pretty little image about Japan, I don’t know/remember when we started dating. But, October in this year’s going to be a big milestone for us to mark 10 years of being together(just being in a romantic relationship, for the marriage is a long way to go!)

 

I don’t know if it’s an exact day but I wanted to celebrate this accomplishment, so I cooked Japanese traditional food that appears on celebration: Osekihan! (Literally meaning red rice.)

 

It’s sticky sweet rice cooked with azuki beans, and whenever there is celebration mom cooks this by dragging a pressure cooker from somewhere. We like to eat them by sprinkling black sesame seeds and a little salt, and wow it’s so good! 

 

Do you have any celebrations and are looking for some new recipes? Try this and put a big grin on you and your folk’s face! 

 

Ready to cook? Here we go! 

 

<Today’s Recipe>

Osekihan (Azuki Red Bean Sticky Rice)

<Ingredients>

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• 1 cup uncooked rice (I used brown rice)
• 1 cup uncooked sweet rice
• ½ cup uncooked azuki red beans
• 3 cups water
• Some salt
• Some black sesame seeds 

 

<Direction>

1. Rinse rice and sweet rice. Soak in water for about 30 min.
2. Rinse red beans and boil them. When the water is boiled, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 20min. Drain.
3. Bring drained rice, sweet rice, red beans and water together in a pan. Close the lid and turn on heat to medium high heat and bring it to boil. When you hear the bubbling, reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 30min.
4. Open the lid and mix. When water is boiled up and the rice is fluffy, remove from heat and let it sit for 10 min to steam.
5. Transfer rice to a bowl and sprinkle salt and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

 

<Cooking Tips>

Be sure to get azuki beans! They are sometimes called red beans so I bought a bag from an American grocery, and it turned out it was red kidney beans…Azuki beans are not as starchy as red kidney beans so they can be balanced with sticky sweet rice, but  sticky rice and sticky beans are too much in texture…

Be sure to choose proper rice! I never cooked this with basmati rice, long grain, or Jasmin rice but medium grain rice works the best here. Also make sweet rice: usual rice ratio to 50:50 or reduce sweet rice ratio to at most 50%. If you use 100% sweet rice into osekihan, your rice dish becomes rice cake!

I have a Korean friend and heard they typically have a special calendar to count the days since they met for the first time or went out. Isn’t it cute? I wonder if other cultures have special things to enjoy their relationship. 

 

Be sure if your wife/husband cooks this yummy osekihan one day. If you don’t have any idea why she makes it, you might be missing a big celebration and a big fight is waiting after meal time!

 

<Other Celebration Food to Enjoy a Day>

If it’s a big celebration, be sure to care about the presentation! 

Zucchini Tomato Carpaccio

Make a gorgeous dish for a special day! 

Eggplant Parmesan

Whenever there is something to be celebrated, cake is the must! 

2 Layers No-Bake Mango Cheesecake

Enjoy home cooking and your own creation of homemade food!