Kuri Kinton and Kuri Ohagi
Ingredients
Chestnut paste
Chestnut : 500g (without skin around 300g)
Sugar : 50g
Water : 50g
Salt : Pinch
Chestnut Ohagi (Rice)
Glutinous Rice : 100g
Rice : 50g
Water : Usual amount for cooking rice
Sugar : 1 teaspoon
It’s chestnut season! There are many kinds of sweets made with chestnuts, but simple, soft and steamy KuriKinton (said to have originated in Gifu prefecture’s Nakatsugawa) is one that really brings out that elegant chestnut flavour. If you can get fresh chestnuts, please give this recipe a try. KuriOhagi, which uses the same chestnut paste as KuriKinton, is delicious too ‒ why not make both?
Method
Kuri Kinton (Chestnut paste)
- Steam or boil the chestnuts for 40 minutes.
- Cut chestnuts in half, scoop out the insides, and push through a sieve.
- Place pureed chestnuts in a microwave-safe bowl and mix in sugar and water. Microwave for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a container and wrap container tightly with plastic wrap to seal chestnut paste.
- Cut more plastic wrap into 15cm pieces. Fold each piece in half and place 30g of cooled chestnut paste on it. Wrap up tightly and adjust shape (photo 1).
Kuri Ohagi (Chestnut Ohagi)
- Wash rice and glutinous rice, then soak for 30 minutes. Add sugar and steam in a rice cooker.
- Pound the steamed rice mixture thoroughly (with a wooden pestle or similar) until it forms a sticky mass, then roll into balls of 20g each (photo 2).
- Place chestnut paste on plastic wrap and flatten with the palm of your hand. Put one of the rice balls in the middle, then gather up the plastic wrap to cover the rice in chestnut paste (photo 3).
