📝 About This Recipe
Sekihan is a cherished Japanese classic, traditionally served to mark auspicious occasions like birthdays, weddings, and graduations. This elegant dish features short-grain glutinous rice naturally tinted a beautiful rosy hue by the cooking liquid of nutty azuki beans. The result is a delightfully chewy, fragrant, and visually stunning rice dish that embodies the spirit of Japanese hospitality and celebration.
🥗 Ingredients
The Rice Base
- 2.5 cups Mochigome (Glutinous/Sweet Rice) (rinsed until water runs clear)
- 0.5 cups Urumimai (Regular Short-Grain Japanese Rice) (adds a better texture than 100% glutinous rice)
The Red Beans
- 1/2 cup Azuki Beans (Dried) (dried, not canned)
- 3 cups Water (for initial boil) (for parboiling the beans)
- 3 cups Water (for simmering) (to create the red cooking liquid)
Seasoning and Garnish
- 1 tablespoon Sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt (fine grain)
- 1 tablespoon Kurogoma (Black Sesame Seeds) (toasted for Gomashio)
- 1 teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt (to mix with sesame seeds)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Combine the mochigome and regular short-grain rice in a large bowl. Rinse with cold water 3-4 times, swirling gently, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and let the rice sit for at least 30 minutes to hydrate.
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2
Place the dried azuki beans in a medium saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain the beans and discard the water; this 'shibunuki' process removes the harsh bitterness from the bean skins.
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3
Return the parboiled beans to the saucepan and add another 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
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4
Simmer the beans for 20-25 minutes. You want the beans to be cooked through but still firm to the touch—they should not be mushy or bursting, as they will cook further with the rice.
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5
Once the beans are ready, place a bowl under a colander and drain the beans, making sure to reserve every drop of the dark red cooking liquid. Let the beans and the liquid cool separately to room temperature.
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6
To oxygenate the liquid and deepen the red color, use a ladle to scoop up some of the bean water and pour it back into the bowl from a height of about 6 inches. Repeat this 5-10 times.
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7
Place the drained rice into your rice cooker inner pot. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sake.
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8
Pour the cooled red bean liquid into the rice cooker pot up to the '3-cup' line (or the 'Okowa/Sweet Rice' line if your cooker has one). If you don't have enough bean liquid, top it off with a little plain water.
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9
Gently spread the cooked azuki beans in an even layer over the top of the rice. Do not stir them in, as this can lead to uneven cooking of the glutinous rice.
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10
Set the rice cooker to the 'Okowa' or 'Sticky Rice' setting. If your cooker doesn't have this, the regular 'White Rice' setting will work, but ensure the rice has soaked properly beforehand.
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11
While the rice cooks, prepare the Gomashio garnish by lightly crushing the toasted black sesame seeds with the flaky sea salt in a mortar and pestle or a small bowl.
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12
Once the rice cooker clicks to 'Keep Warm,' let the Sekihan steam undisturbed for 10-15 minutes to allow the moisture to distribute evenly.
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13
Open the lid and use a rice paddle to gently fold the beans into the rice using a cutting motion, being careful not to smash the delicate beans.
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14
Transfer the Sekihan to a serving bowl or individual bowls, and generously sprinkle with the homemade Gomashio before serving.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use a mix of glutinous and regular rice; 100% glutinous rice can be overly heavy for some palates. Oxygenating the bean liquid by pouring it from a height is the secret to achieving that vibrant, natural pink color without food coloring. Ensure the beans are 'al dente' before adding to the rice; if they are too soft, they will disintegrate during the final steaming. If you don't have a rice cooker, you can steam the rice in a bamboo steamer lined with cheesecloth for 40 minutes, splashing with bean liquid halfway through. Leftovers freeze beautifully! Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap while still warm to retain moisture.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, as is traditional for Japanese celebrations. Pair with grilled salted salmon (Shioyaki) for a balanced, savory meal. Accompany with a clear dashi-based soup (Osuumono) to cleanse the palate. Serve alongside seasonal Japanese pickles (Tsukemono) for a crunch and acidity contrast. Enjoy with a cup of hot roasted green tea (Hojicha) to complement the nutty flavor of the azuki beans.