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Foods that are only served on special occasions are often fondly remembered for more than just taste alone. Sekihan is glutinous, or sweet, rice coloured red with adzuki beans and will get anyone from our dad’s generation on the Japanese side of our family exclaiming with gusto. I don’t remember eating this as a kid, but this is a special rice that was served on special occasions, like New Year’s Celebrations, family reunions, or weddings. It has a savoury but otherwise somewhat plain taste and is not something that I would gush over like our dad does.
Sekihan is something that you won’t find in regular Japanese restaurants, at least the numerous sushi restaurants that are taking over Toronto.
- 5 rice-cups glutinous rice
- ¾ cup adzuki beans
- 7 cups water
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 3 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- Wash the rice and drain it.
- Boil the beans in 7 cups water, without covering the pot, so that the beans will have a good red colour through oxidization with the air. When the water reduces, add about 1 or 2 cups more water until the beans are cooked, about 45 minutes.
- Drain the beans in a colander, but reserve the cooking liquid.
- Boil the rice with the beans in 5 cups of the bean cooking liquid and 1 Tbsp salt, about 25 minutes.
- Serve the rice in bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds mixed with 1 tsp salt.
