Keiran (Sweet Bean Rice Dumplings in Clear Soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 65 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 20 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Keiran is a ceremonial soup from the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture, traditionally prepared during the autumn harvest and for auspicious gatherings.
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Glutinous rice flour is moistened gradually with warm water and kneaded until as soft as an earlobe. The dough is wrapped around smooth red bean paste and shaped like small eggs, which gives the dish its name. The dumplings are cooked gently in plenty of boiling water so they do not break, then touched with clean water and reshaped while still hot to create a glossy surface. Two dumplings go into each bowl with a clear broth made from dried shiitake, kombu, and soy sauce, finished with mitsuba. Sweet bean filling and savory broth meet in the same bite, while the neat egg shape gives the soup its festive character.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Moisten the glutinous rice flour evenly with one-third of the warm water.
Add the remaining water little by little and knead until the dough has no cracks and feels as soft as an earlobe.
- 2Control
Divide the smooth red bean paste into 40 portions and roll them into small balls.
Divide the rice dough into 40 portions as well and keep it covered so it does not dry out.
- 3Step
Flatten one dough portion, place one bean-paste ball in the center, and seal it completely so the seam cannot open.
Roll between the palms into a small egg shape with one end slightly narrower.
- 4Heat
Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot and cook the dumplings in batches.
Keep the boil gentle without stirring vigorously; when the dumplings float and the rice dough is cooked through, lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- 5Heat
Sprinkle a little clean water over the freshly cooked dumplings and use a paddle to restore their egg shape and create a glossy surface. They are extremely hot, so do not handle them immediately with bare hands.
- 6Season
Soak the dried shiitake and kombu in the broth water, then heat slowly and remove the kombu just before boiling.
Once the shiitake has flavored the stock, season with soy sauce and keep hot.
- 7Finish
Place two dumplings in each of 20 bowls and divide the hot clear broth evenly among them.
Cut the mitsuba, add a little to each bowl, and serve while the dumplings are warm.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Soft glutinous rice dough wraps smooth bean paste in a small egg shape.
- Finish cue
- Sprinkle a little clean water over the freshly cooked dumplings and use a paddle to restore their egg shape and create a glossy surface.
- Avoid this
- Do not add all the water at once.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
65min, 8 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 242 recipes
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