Learn to make Oshiruko, a candy and comforting Japanese dessert soup that can heat your physique and soul. This wintertime favourite is quick and simple to organize at dwelling utilizing fantastic crimson bean paste from the shop. It’s additionally beautiful when loved as a hot-cold combo year-round!
When the climate will get cool, I crave meals which might be heat and comforting. This goes for Japanese sweets, too. It’s no surprise that oshiruko (お汁粉) was a favourite wintertime dessert of mine rising up in Japan. I may by no means resist this candy crimson bean soup, particularly in the course of the colder months. A stomach stuffed with scorching oshiruko at all times warmed me up on a cold day.
I now reside the place the local weather is cool a lot of the 12 months, so I’m completely happy that I can take pleasure in this nostalgic and comfortable dessert year-round. Fortunately, it’s simple to whip up a scrumptious bowl of candy azuki bean soup at dwelling with store-bought elements. Let me present you ways with my Oshiruko recipe!
What’s Oshiruko?
Oshiruko is a conventional Japanese dessert soup made with candy crimson bean paste known as anko (餡子) and chewy glutinous rice flour dumplings known as shiratama dango (白玉団子). For a clean texture, we use a fantastic paste known as koshian (こしあん). This beloved dish is often served heat in the course of the colder months.
Its historical past in Japanese delicacies dates again to the Edo interval (1603–1868), when it grew to become extra widespread amongst commoners as sugar grew to become extensively out there. At this time, we take pleasure in oshiruko each in on a regular basis dwelling cooking and for particular cultural occasions like New 12 months’s Kagami Biraki, Hinamatsuri (Japanese Lady’s Day), and Setsubun (Bean Throwing Pageant).
Oshiruko vs. Zenzai
What‘s the distinction between Oshiruko and Zenzai (ぜんざい, 善哉)? It is determined by the world of Japan! Since my mother is initially from Osaka, I grew up following the Kansai approach.
Within the Kansai area (Osaka space):
- Oshiruko is clean crimson bean soup with out complete beans.
- Zenzai is chunky crimson bean soup with complete beans.
Within the Kanto area (Tokyo space):
- Oshiruko is any crimson bean soup, both the graceful or chunky sort.
- Zenzai is not a soup; it’s dry mochi served with chunky crimson bean paste.
Components for Candy Pink Bean Soup
You solely want a couple of elements to make this recipe:
- Anko (candy crimson bean paste) — Use koshian (こしあん), a fantastic and clean crimson bean paste; out there on Amazon or make my homemade recipe.
- water
- Kosher salt — Non-obligatory, to boost the sweetness
- Shiratama dango — Small, chewy dumplings constructed from glutinous rice flour known as shiratamako; make them in quarter-hour utilizing my recipe.
Substitution Suggestions and Variations
You’ll be able to fluctuate the feel and taste of your soup with these choices:
- Use tsubuan, a chunky-type anko, if you’d like further texture within the soup. When the soup has complete azuki beans, we name it Zenzai.
- Add chewy mochi items instead of shiratama dango. Toast or grill bite-size items of dried Japanese rice cake known as kirimochi; see how in my Zenzai recipe. It’s a great way to make use of your outdated new 12 months mochi or kagami mochi! You may as well use freshly made or boiled mochi rice desserts.
- Prime it with Japanese flavors. In wintertime, strive sprinkling kinako (roasted soybean flour), matcha (inexperienced tea powder), yuzu juice or zest, or kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) in your oshiruko. Throughout different seasons, add pickled cherry blossoms in springtime and chestnuts in autumn.
- Serve with ice cream or fruit. For a scrumptious hot-cold combo, add a scoop of ice cream to your heat oshiruko and serve with a small crispy waffle. For a refreshing twist, prime your heat soup together with your favourite chilled seasonal fruits like berries and peaches.
Make Oshiruko
It couldn’t be easier to make this soup utilizing ready crimson bean paste.
- Combine equal elements of koshian and water in a saucepan.
- Warmth till it reaches a mild boil.
- Pour into particular person bowls.
- Add the shiratama dango to the bowls and serve.
Recipe Suggestions and Strategies
- Add solely half the water to dissolve the anko. It’s simpler to do in the event you use much less water. As soon as it’s dissolved, add the remainder of the water and warmth the soup.
- Add a pinch of salt to the soup to deliver out the sweetness of the anko. Whereas that is elective, I like to recommend it to boost the soup’s taste.
- Warmth the oshiruko on low warmth. The thick soup can swell and erupt immediately, splattering over the pot.
Retailer
- To refrigerate or freeze: Switch the soup to an hermetic container. Retailer it within the fridge for as much as 4 days or within the freezer for as much as a month.
- To reheat: Put together the shiratama dango or mochi proper earlier than you serve the oshiruko.
Make Advantageous-Paste Anko (Koshian)
Whereas I exploit store-bought anko for comfort, you can even make it from scratch with my Homemade Anko or Pressure Cooker Anko recipes:
- Take away the astringency from the dried azuki beans by boiling them briefly, then drain.
- Simmer the beans in a considerable amount of water in a pot on the stovetop.
- When a bean mashes simply between your fingers, it’s accomplished. Drain.
- Mix the beans till clean. Cook dinner them with sugar and salt till thickened.
Make Shiratama Dango
It’s very simple to make shiratama dango at dwelling. You’ll be able to click here for the recipe.
What to Serve with Oshiruko
In Japan, we regularly serve oshiruko with a salty condiment to steadiness out the sweetness. It’s sometimes served with shio kombu (salted kelp) or umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums). You should buy shio kombu on Amazon.
Want to study extra about Japanese cooking? Join our free newsletter to obtain cooking ideas & recipe updates! And keep in contact with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Oshiruko (Candy Pink Bean Soup)
Learn to make Oshiruko, a candy and comforting Japanese dessert soup that can heat your physique and soul. This wintertime favourite is quick and simple to organize at dwelling utilizing fantastic crimson bean paste from the shop.
Components
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
