Sweet Red Bean Porridge (Korean Adzuki Rice Dessert Soup)
Quick answer
Danpat-juk is a Korean sweet red bean porridge prepared by cooking dried red beans until fully tender, then straining two-thirds through a fine sieve for a smooth paste w...
What makes this special
- Danpat-juk red bean porridge balances sieved smooth paste with whole beans for textural contrast.
- Two-thirds sieved smooth, one-third left whole for texture in every spoonful
- First boiling water discarded to remove astringency, skipping leaves a bitter aftertaste
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rinse 180g red beans, place in a pot with plenty of water, boil over high he...
- 2 Add 1200ml fresh water and simmer over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes until t...
- 3 Pass two-thirds of the cooked beans through a sieve to make a smooth red bea...
Danpat-juk is a Korean sweet red bean porridge prepared by cooking dried red beans until fully tender, then straining two-thirds through a fine sieve for a smooth paste while keeping the remaining third whole to provide textural contrast throughout the bowl. The water from the initial boil is discarded to eliminate the raw astringency that fresh red beans carry before the flavor fully develops. Sugar, salt, and a small measure of cinnamon season the finished porridge, with the cinnamon adding a warm spiced note without overpowering the bean itself. Small glutinous rice dumplings called saealsim, hand-shaped from glutinous rice flour mixed with boiling water, are dropped into the simmering liquid and float to the surface once cooked through, introducing a chewy counterpoint to the smooth broth. Because the porridge thickens noticeably as it cools, pulling it from the heat while still slightly thinner than the intended final consistency ensures the bowl reaches the table at the right texture.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Rinse 180g red beans, place in a pot with plenty of water, boil over high heat for 10 minutes, then discard the first water to remove bitterness and cloudiness from the beans.
- 2Control
Add 1200ml fresh water and simmer over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes until the beans crush effortlessly when pressed between two fingers.
- 3Heat
Pass two-thirds of the cooked beans through a sieve to make a smooth red bean paste, and leave the remaining third as whole beans to provide texture.
- 4Step
Add 35ml hot water to 50g glutinous rice flour in small amounts to form a soft, earlobe-pliable dough, then roll into small balls 1.5 to 2cm in diameter.
- 5Season
Bring the red bean liquid to a boil with 45g sugar, 2g salt, and 1g cinnamon, drop in the rice balls, and once they float, cook for 1 more minute to ensure they are cooked through.
- 6Finish
Check the consistency and add a splash of water if too thick, simmer 3 more minutes, then ladle into bowls and serve immediately while hot.
After the steps
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