IMBB? - Mizu Yokan (Soft Red Bean Jelly)

When I found out that Elise, of Simply Recipes, was going to be hosting this month's IMBB? event, I just knew I had to participate.  When I found out that she had chosen gelatin as her theme, I was even more excited.  You see, I know that both Elise and I are JELL-O® lovers!  The most difficult part for me of this month's event came when I had decide what to make.

Since summer is nearing, and since it's been quite hot and humid here lately, I decided to make a dessert that is traditionally eaten in summer. 

My grandmother used to prepare this for many years, and I think most of us didn't really like it too much when we were younger.  As I grew older, I developed a fondness for this dessert, even making it myself from time to time.  Mizu yokan is a type of soft "jelly" made from kanten (agar-agar) and azuki beans.  Koshian, which is the smooth azuki paste used to make this dessert, can be made using dried azuki beans and sugar, or can be purchased already prepared.

This dessert is so simple to make and delicious with a nice cup of green tea.

Mizu Yokan (Soft Red Bean Jelly)

1 stick (about .25 oz) shiro kanten (white agar-agar)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can koshian (strained azuki bean paste)

**NOTE**

No sugar in used this recipe since koshian is normally pre-sweetened.  Up to one cup of sugar may be used depending on the level of sweetness desired.

Rinse kanten under cold water, then cut into 1" pieces.  Add 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot, add cut kanten and place on stove.  Allow kanten to soak for 30 minutes to soften. 

After 30 minutes, turn the heat to medium and cook until kanten is completely dissolved.  Add in sugar and salt.  After the sugar and salt have dissolved, add in koshian.  Increase heat until just below boiling, stirring constantly.  After a few minutes, remove from heat.

Strain mixture into a 8" x 8" square pan and let cool completely.  Cut into desired shapes and serve.

The good thing about this is that kanten sets at room temperature and will start to firm up as it cools.  No refrigeration is required for this to set.  However, like any other gelatin based dessert, this tastes much better after being chilled.

Enjoy!

Comments

[MrsT]

Yummy looking..!!
i wished i can get some red bean paste here..!

[elise]

Hi Reid,
Oh my gosh, I remember eating this when I lived in Japan! I love all the sweet bean dishes there. Now I really have to run out and get some agar. Need to find a Japanese market here. I used to go to one in San Jose, and there must be places in J-town in San Francisco, but don't know about Sacramento. I think it's telling that we were both inspired to create something that our grandmothers made for us. Thanks for participating. Your broken glass Jell-O dish was the inspiration for the theme.

[clare eats]

wow that looks great Reid
:)

[Reid]

Hi MrsT,

Thank you. I actually didn't like this very much when I was growing up. I like it a lot more now that I'm older.

Hi Elise,

Yes, it sure is telling that we both ended up making something that our grandmothers made for us. This was not really a favorite of mine until several years ago. I don't know why I didn't like it as a child.

Thank you so much for hosting...and for taking inspiration for this month's theme from my broken glass jello. Have you tried to make it again?

Hi Clare,

Thank you. It's one of my favorite snacks during the summer. =)

[Julia]

Oh yum! I like this Japanese dessert a lot, but had no idea it's so easy to create. Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)

[Reid]

Hi Julia,

It really is easy if you use the prepared red bean paste. If you make it from scratch, it can take quite a while to prepare. I'm pressed for time so I took the easy way out.

=)

[Moira]

Hi Reid...I can't say that this is my kind of dessert, but I think your presentation and photo is beautiful...it looks very cool and and zen-like to me!

[anthony]

Hey it's true. Ah you've got nice translucence there and why is mine battleship grey?

[elise]

No Reid, I haven't made another attempt. We are still laughing about the first one!

[babe_kl]

hmm seems simple, i wonder if i could replaced with shiro kanten with agar-agar?

[babe_kl]

i just found out that shiro kanten IS agar-agar haha, great!

[alice]

Wow, Reid! I am making mizu yokan this weekend!!! We used to get the ones that were sealed in thin bamboo tubes when I was growing up in Japan. I'd kinda forgotten about how much I loved the stuff until I saw your image on Elise's page!

Thanks for reminding me of those tasty sumemr treats!

[Jessica "Su Good Eats"]

Hi Reid,
I'm really craving this dish. Not a lot of stores sell it in NY Chinatown, and it's like $5 for two measely pieces! Now I can make it myself. :-) Do you know how to sub gelatin for agar agar?

[Dennis]

That red bean jelly dish looks pretty Zen...simple yet graceful.

[Allen Wong]

Reid,

Can the clear agar be substituted for kanten? I'm pretty sure one is weaker than the other. I see cans of sweetened red bean paste in Chinatown and various grocers from time to time, but I'm not sure if it's Azuki ot not. The Chinese don't seem to differenciate?

I've loving your photo, by the way. Now _that_ is aesthetically pleasing.

[MBS]

You MAKE your own yokan? Jeeez! I rather just buy it. I'm with you, Reid. Yokan wasn't my favorite dessert as a kid, but I began to like it as an adult. Funny how that works.

You know, it's little things like Yokan that make me miss Hawaii. Not that I'd eat it every day, but it's nice to know where to get it if I craved it.

You know, I don't think even my grandma makes it. She just buys it...

[fish fish]

Reid, the yokan looked very nice. But fish fish don't like yokan and azuki. :P

[Reid]

Hi Moira,

Thank you for your kind words. Coming from you that means a lot! =)

I think you take some of the most beautiful food photos around.

Hi Anthony,

Thank you. I didn't think yours looked too bad, and they didn't look grey either. I'm wondering if maybe you didn't pick over the beans too well....hmmmm.

Hi Elise,

OK. =) You should try it again sometime.

Hi babe_kl,

=)

Try this and let me know how you like it.

Hi Alice,

Thank you for stopping by. I never liked this as a child, in fact, I don't think I liked any azuki based desserts as a child. Now I love 'em. My favorites are mizu yokan, and an pan. mmmm! Now if I only had the patience to make an pan at home.
If you make this, let me know how it turns out for you.

Hi Jessica,

Thank you for dropping in!

I didn't know it was so expensive in Chinatown. LOL! If you want to try and substitute gelatin for this, try using 4 packages of Knox gelatin with 1 1/2 cups water. Soften the gelatin according to the directions on the package.

Good luck!

Hi Dennis,

Thank you very much.

I think I need to take a few lessons from you in food photography though. You always make your dishes look wonderful.

Hi Allen,

I'm not sure what clear agar looks like, but the kanten I use looks like this:

http://shinturu.com/shinturuhome/kanten.jpg

You would only need to use one of those "strips" to make this dessert and it becomes very firm. I would think that azuki beans and red beans are the same. You'll just have to look for the smooth paste and you've got yourself the dessert. Good luck.

Hi MBS,

Yes of course I make it myself. =)

When I first learned how to make this, I made it the hard way -- picking the beans, soaking them, boiling them, then pressing them. It was difficult, so now I take the short cut. I wouldn't say that it took more than 15 minutes at most. Besides, i wouldn't know where to buy these...

Hi fish fish,

Oooh. I'm sorry you don't like mizu yokan. Perhaps you'd like it made with baby lima beans. I like it that way as well. =)

[Sean]

I'm trying out this recipe for a menu I had to create for culinary school with a few changes (mainly adding a crumb base and maybe a sauce) but I could only find granulated or powdered agar-agar (I can't remember which is was). I've read that powdered is 3x as strong as flaked and granulated is 2x as strong so I was wondering how much I should use for this recipe. I have a feeling that using 0.125oz of it won't do.

[Reid]

Hi Sean,

Welcome and please accept my apologies for a delayed reply. I'm really not sure how much agar-agar powder should be used as I've only ever used sticks, but if it's used like gelatin, I would say about a half ounce should be sufficient.

Good luck!

[Sean]

Hey, it's all good. It turned out I guess, I used a whole pack plus 2 packs knox gelatin just in case because I used about 12+ cups of water and 1 can of pureed red beans. It didn't turn out like the picture, and my mixture sorted out into layers so it still looked good. I also made a second using pureed honeydew and honey which turned out better. I ended up using both which turned out well. Thanks for the help =)

[Emily]

Hey!

The Mizu Yokan looks REALLY good the way you presented it!! I wanna try and make it too now! haha~~ but I was just wondering how much 1 can of koishan is? (500g for example) Thanks! =]

[Sarah]

The first time I was ever introduced to this was when I was 14 here in America my by "sister" Yukiko who visited from Japan. I am making Manju right now with the azuki paste and have decided to make Yokan with a Jell-O(c) powder. I hope that it will turn out, if not where can I find agar-agar sticks here in America?