Oshiruko（おしるこ）
Oshiruko is a sweet soup made with azuki (red beans) and rice cakes(mochi). Another name for oshiruko is zenzai.
Oshiruko(Zenzai) is a Japanese sweet that has been popular since the Edo period.
Surprisingly, it is sometimes served in a set with pickles at sweet shops. A little saltiness has the effect of making the sweetness feel stronger.
In Japan, it has long been believed that the color red wards off evil, and dishes made with red beans are served on special days such as New Year’s.
Mochi is also an essential part of New Year’s cuisine. Two round mochi are stacked and offered to the gods. This stacked mochi is called Kagami mochi.
On January 11th, there is an event called Kagami-biraki. On that day, people make sweet soup called oshiruko using mochi that was offered during the New Year and red beans, which are considered to be an auspicious ingredient.
However, shiruko is not a dessert that is only eaten during the New Year; it is a casual dessert that is enjoyed by people of all ages and genders on a daily basis. During the winter, canned oshiruko can be purchased from vending machines.
When making oshiruko at home, I often use shiratama dango (rice flour dumplings) and canned azuki beans.
Mochi(rice cake) is steamed glutinous rice that has been ground and rolled into balls. Nowadays, it is rare to make it at home, and it is common to buy it dried. It can be soaked in water and heated in the microwave, grilled, or simmered in soup.Shiratama dango are easy to make at home.
For more on shiratama dango, check out this article. 👉 Easy to make Japanese sweets : Shiratama Dango with Kinako
Types of bean paste to use
“Anko” is azuki (red beans) boiled together with sugar.
Oshiruko is a state in which water is left in when making bean paste. Shiru is a word that means soup. Zenzai is generally boiled until there is almost no liquid left. Anko(Bean paste) is heated until all the moisture has evaporated.
Anko can be classified into tsubuan and koshian. Tsubuan leaves the shape of the beans intact, while koshian is made by crushing the beans and straining them into a smooth paste.
In some regions, the difference between zenzai and oshiruko is whether they use whole bean paste or smooth bean paste. In that case, zenzai is said to use whole bean paste and oshiruko is said to use smooth bean paste.
If you use koshian for your oshiruko, mix it with hot water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
There are many variations of Oshiruko depending on the region and store, so it might be fun to try a few different kinds.
Anko is an essential ingredient in Japanese sweets such as yokan, manju, taiyaki, dorayaki, and ohagi.
But it’s very easy to make, so it’s worth a try. If you have any left over, freeze it.
Here are some points to keep in mind when making anko.
It is said that the skin of red beans is very hard and there is no point in soaking them in water, but I soak them for a few hours before cooking just to be safe.
When cooking beans in a pressure cooker, check the cooking capacity of the pressure cooker you are using. If you cook too many beans, they will boil over and cause a big problem.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, boil the red beans for 1 to 2 hours. If you add the sugar too early, the beans will not be soft enough, so be sure to add the sugar only after you have confirmed that the beans are soft.
NUTRITION FACTS of Oshiruko recipe (mochi and azuki soup)
Total Nutritional Value 1552 kcal Protein 43.8 g Fat 5.4 g Carbs 339.6 g Salt Equivalent 2.0 g
Nutritional value per serving 258 kcal Protein 7.3 g Fat 0.9 g Carbs 56.6 g Salt Equivalent 0.3 g
One square mochi weighs about 50g, and one round mochi weighs about 35g. The calories in mochi are about 227Kcal per 100g.
INGREDIENTS for Oshiruko recipe (mochi and azuki soup) (6SERVINGS)
- azuki (red beans) (150g)
- Water
- Hot water
- ★Water (400g)
- ★Sugar (100g)
- ★Salt (2g)
- Mochi ( 50g ×6 piece)
Oshiruko recipe (mochi and azuki soup) COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
①Soak the azuki (red beans) in water for 5 hours.
②Boil the washed azuki (red beans) in hot water for 2 minutes.
③Drain the water in which the azuki (red beans) were boiled. This process removes the bitter taste from the azuki (red beans).
④Add the azuki (red beans) and water to a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 20 minutes. Azuki (red beans) skin is very tough, so the best way to cook it is in a pressure cooker. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, boil the red beans for 1 to 2 hours.
Place a weight (a colander that comes with the pressure cooker) on top of the beans to prevent the bean skins from blocking the steam vent or safety valve of the pressure cooker.
⑤Once the pressure is reduced naturally, check that the azuki (red beans) are firm enough to be crushed with your fingers, then add sugar and salt and simmer. If you add the sugar too early, the beans will not be soft enough, so be sure to add the sugar only after you have confirmed that the beans are soft.
⑥Coat aluminum foil with a thin layer of oil (not included in the recipe) and place the mochi on it.
If you do not apply oil, the mochi will stick together and you will have a hard time
⑦Grill for 3 minutes using a fish grill.
It burns easily, so grill over low-medium heat while keeping an eye on it.
⑧Enjoy the sweet azuki soup with mochi (rice cakes). This soup is delicious both hot and cold.
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