Azuki Bean and Sweet Potato Rice

Kuri Gohan

My favorite autumn donabe rice dish

Equipment

Double-lid donabe rice cooker, Kamado-san (3 rice-cup size)

Servings

4 - 5

Ingredients

• generous 1/3 cup (90 ml) dry azuki (red) beans, rinsed
• 1 1/2 rice-cups (270 ml) short grain rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 rice-cup (180 ml) sweet rice (mochi rice), rinsed and drained
• 2 cups minus 2 teaspoons (470 ml) water
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 8 oz (240 g) Japanese sweet potato (satsuma-imo), peeled and cut into 1/3" (8 mm) cubes

Procedure

1. Soak the sweet potato in cold water for 5 minutes as soon as it's cut. Drain and set aside.
2. Combine the azuki beans with 4-5 times as much water in a medium pot and set over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes and drain.
3. In the same pot, combine the drained beans with 4-5 times as much (new) water, then set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the beans are barely tender. Drain and let them cool down completely. (You can pre-cook the azuki beans up to 2 days in advance and keep refrigerated.)
4. In “Kamado-san”, combine both kinds of rice with the water, mirin, and salt. Add the cooked azuki beans and sweet potato cubes. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes.
5. Cover “Kamado-san” with both lids and cook over medium-high heat for 13-15 minutes, or cook until 2-3 minutes after the steam starts puffing out of the top lid.
6. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 20 minutes.
7. Uncover  and gently toss the rice mixture with a rice paddle.

• This rice dish is also excellent as onigiri (rice balls) for a picnic.