Unlike many people, the first time I came to Japan my taste buds have been overwhelmed by Japanese desserts.

No sushi, no noodles, no tempura. The first thing I tasted when I arrived in the land of the rising sun, was a delicious Mochi stuffed with Azuki beans.

I've heard a lot about these legumes cooked with sugar, and coming from Italy, a country where dessert refers mainly to a mixture of flour, eggs, and sugar, the idea of eating them and discovering a new way of enjoying sweets, always intrigued me.

What can I say, it was love at first bite, and after more than two years living in this country, I can say that azuki has become an integral part of my diet, but not only in their sweet version.

Did you know that their savory version is the base of popular Japanese recipes and dishes?

In particular, azuki, whose production is concentrated in particular in Hokkaido prefecture, are an outstanding ingredient in a healthy cuisine originating in Japan, which little-by-little is becoming more and more popular all over the world, called macrobiotics.

Macrobiotics

Conceived and exported around the world by the Japanese writer Yukikazu Sakurazawa, Macrobiotics is a philosophy of life that found physical well-being through the combination of movement, meditation, and in particular through, the research of Yin & Yang balance, that derived from the choice of the foods we eat on a daily basis.

To give you a general idea, Macrobiotic is a cuisine that promotes the choice of local and seasonal ingredients, a preference for whole grain carbohydrates, beans protein, and of course fruit and vegetables.

In the Macrobiotic diet, azuki plays an important role thanks to their nutrients (they are rich in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B), their pleasant nutty flavor, and the natural sweetness which explains their use in several Asian desserts.

Despite their nutritional properties and benefits, it is not easy to find them ready-made in supermarkets, except in the sweet form of Anko. On the contrary, you can easily buy them dried and ready to be cooked. In this article, I want to show you how easy it is to enjoy them at home, but also in their savory version together with some tricks I learned while studying macrobiotic cuisine!

Cooking Beans

Also in Japan, salads, soups, stew… are some of the easiest ways you can enjoy their taste and benefit from their nutrients, and to enjoy them, the first thing we need to do is boiling.

Azuki is considered a quick-cooking bean that does not require soaking in water, but to improve their digestibility, it is always advisable to take a bit of time to prepare them that way.

Also, Macrobiotic cooking teaches us an important step that many do not know: the use of Konbu seaweed during cooking.

Why Konbu? Not everyone likes this very popular seaweed ingredient of Japanese cuisine (I am the first), but perhaps, by discovering its properties, we will learn to appreciate it a little more.

Rich in iodine, minerals, and vitamins, it is beneficial for health and to alleviate several ailments, Konbu is a seaweed useful for making food softer and more digestible. For this reason, it is mainly used for the cooking of legumes and possibly of cereals, but it can also be simply used for salting and giving flavor to broths and soups.

Using Konbu while soaking and cooking azuki beans will help us to avoid that stomach swelling often caused by the gas released by beans, along with giving them a pleasant umami aftertaste.

Here 4 easy steps to cook our azuki beans:

1) Immerse azuki beans in water with Konbu for a minimum of 1-2 hours.

2) Drain the water and add the azuki together with Konbu, replacing cold water and 1 tbsp of salt in a pot (best proportion: 1 cup of beans, 4 cups of cold water).

3) Put the pot on heat and bring to boil with a lid. Once they reach the boiling point, reduce to a simmer, opening the lid to let the steam escape. Let them cook until tender (it will take between 60-90 minutes).

4) When ready, drain well, take off the Konbu, and once cooled, they can be stored in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container.

Azuki and Pumpkin

Ingredients

– 1 cup Azuki beans

– 1/2 Pumpkin

– Sea salt

– 1 small piece of Konbu

Let the beans soak over in cold water and the piece of Konbu overnight. The next day, drain the konbu and beans. 

In a pot, add the Konbu, the azuki, and fresh cold water (beans must be completely soaked in water).

During cooking, eliminate any foam on the surface, and add water to keep its level always the same. When they reach boiling point, put the lid on, lower the heat and proceed with the cooking, checking every 5 min that the water levels is still the same, and adding water if necessary.

While they are cooking, prepare your pumpkin. Wash the surface and scoop the seeds from the inside. Without removing the skin, cut it into cubes or triangles (as you prefer) of the same size.

When the beans are almost done cooking (after about 40 minutes) add the pumpkin on top of them. Close the lid and cook until it reaches a soft consistency (about 10 minutes). Add a pinch of salt (or soy sauce if you prefer) and let simmer with the flame off for another 5 min.

This dish can be eaten warm or cold and can be stored in the fridge for 2–3 days.

Sekihan

Ingredients

– 2 cups of Mochi Rice

– 50 gr dried Azuki beans

– Salt

– Black sesame seeds

Azuki Beans

Let's start by washing and draining the azuki beans. Place them in a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover their surface. Place over medium heat, bring to boil and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain.

Return the beans to the pot, cover again with fresh water and place them back over medium heat. Bring to boil, lower the heat (in this way their skin will not break), and cook for 30 – 35 minutes.

Important: Cooking times are approximate. You can tell if the beans are cooked by trying to break them with chopsticks. If they break easily, they are ready.

Drain the beans, and keep their cooking water in a separate container. Allow the beans to cool, close them in a jar with 1/3 cup of water, and store them in the fridge.

Rice

Let's prepare the two cups of mochi rice. Wash them underwater three times or at least until the water is clear. Drain and put in a bowl. Add the red cooking water from the beans, mix, cover with a towel and leave it to rest for 7-8 hours.

(I usually prepare the rice in the evening and let it rest overnight).

Bring the rice cooker. Add rice together with the bean water (you will need to add a little more water to reach the correct cooking level*), sprinkle in the Azuki beans, salt to taste, and start cooking. Once ready, add some black sesame seeds and serve your Sekihan 赤飯 while still hot.

* To cook two cups of Mochi rice you will need 360 ml of water in total.

いただきます！