Ingredients
Serves 3 (2 dumplings per person)
Rice cake
Glutinous rice flour : 80g
Rice flour : 20g
Water : 80～90ml
Sweet azuki bean paste : 100g
Sumashi soup
Boiling water : 600ml
Kombucha (kelp tea) : 1 tsp
Soy sauce : 1 tsp
‘Keiran’ is made from Shichinohe to Noheji, in the Shimokita district of Aomori Prefecture. It gets its name from the word for ‘hen’s egg’, because it features two egg-shaped mochi dumplings with sweet bean paste filling, floating in a broth flavoured with soy sauce. There are subtle regional differences in the ingredients; in some places walnuts or pepper are included.
Originally keiran was eaten as an end-of-autumn treat, but now is often served at occasions like weddings and funerals. I was at first surprised by the idea of bean-paste-filled mochi in a soup, but it’s actually pretty good. Give it a try.
Preparation
Divide bean paste into 6 balls of 20g each.
Method
- Mix glutinous rice flour and rice flour in a bowl. Add water a little at a time, kneading, until a soft dough is formed (photos 1, 2, 3).
- Divide the dough into 6 balls, then flatten them to form 6 circles. Wrap these around the 6 balls of bean paste, then form them into ovals, like eggs with a mochi shell and bean paste inside (photo 4).
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then put in dumplings to cook (photo 5).
- When the dumplings begin to float, drain and rinse in cold water (photo 6).
- To make the sumashi soup, take 3 bowls and put in each 1/3 tsp kombucha, 1/3 tsp soy sauce, and 200ml hot water. Put 2 dumplings in each bowl, then serve.
