Sekihan is usually served on special occasions, but it’s so good I’d like to eat it everyday!

Ingredients

3/4 cup azuki beans
3 3/4 cups Japanese rice
1 1/3 tsp salt
3 tbsp toasted black sesame seeds

Method

Boil the azuki beans in 4 cups of water and discard the water. Add another 4 cups of fresh water and bring to a boil again, on medium for 15 minutes. Do not cover with lid. Scoop excess water while doing this, to keep the beans exposed to air.

Drain but do not discard the liquid. reserve it for when you boil the rice. Return the beans to the pan and add another 4 cups of fresh water, and then cook until tender. this will take about 1 hour.

Follow the directions to make rice, but add the reserved liquid from the beans as part of the water portion. Add the beans and salt to the rice, then cook.

combine the salt and sesame seeds, and when the rice is ready, serve in bowls and sprinkle on top.