Warm and Hearty Red Bean Porridge with Glutinous Rice Balls
Winter Delicacy! Making Red Bean Porridge with Delicious Glutinous Rice Balls
The winter solstice is just around the corner! While many might opt for red bean cakes this year, the comforting warmth of red bean porridge is too good to miss. Let’s make this hearty porridge at home to warm up on a chilly day. Remembering the nostalgic taste my mother used to make, I’m sharing my first attempt at making red bean porridge, a little clumsy but full of care. The chewy rice balls combined with the smooth red bean paste are simply divine!
Porridge Ingredients- Red beans 500g
- Sweet glutinous rice 2 cups (approx. 300g)
- Sweet glutinous rice flour 2 cups (approx. 250g)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, rinse the red beans thoroughly and soak them overnight (about 10 hours) until well-plumped. Similarly, rinse the sweet glutinous rice and soak it in advance.
Step 2
Place the soaked red beans in a pot, add just enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Discard all the first boiling water. This step helps remove the slight bitterness of the red beans, so there’s no need to add a lot of water or boil for too long.
Step 3
Return the red beans to the pot, add plenty of water, and simmer until tender. They should be soft enough to mash easily with your fingers. Start by boiling over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat once it boils, cover with a lid, and let it simmer gently.
Step 4
While the red beans are cooking, it’s time to make the glutinous rice balls. In a bowl, combine the sweet glutinous rice flour and a pinch of salt. Knead the mixture to form a pliable dough. Once the dough is cohesive and slightly sticky, roll it into small, bite-sized balls. If you’re using store-bought sweet glutinous rice flour, add salt for seasoning. If you have it milled fresh, adding salt during milling is also a good option.
Step 5
Check if the red beans are cooked through. Using older red beans meant they took a bit longer to soften than fresh ones – it took about an hour! If you’re short on time, using a pressure cooker can significantly reduce the cooking time.
Step 6
My mother used to strain the cooked red beans through a sieve to get the red bean water, but that seemed a bit laborious for my first attempt at making porridge. So, this time, I enlisted the help of a hand blender. I’m using a Bamix hand blender, known for its quiet operation and powerful performance, to finely process the red beans.
Step 7
Process the red beans into a smooth paste using the hand blender. The desired coarseness is a matter of personal preference; I opted for a slightly textured consistency to retain some bite. If the red bean mixture seems too thick, add a little more water to achieve your desired consistency.
Step 8
Pour the pureed red bean mixture into a pot and stir continuously to prevent it from sticking to the bottom, as red bean porridge can easily scorch. Add the pre-soaked sweet glutinous rice and continue to stir and cook until the rice grains are softened and dispersed.
Step 9
Once the glutinous rice grains are softened and cooked, add the prepared glutinous rice balls. Cook until the rice balls float to the surface.
Step 10
When all the rice balls are floating, the porridge is ready! Season with salt to taste. If you prefer a sweeter porridge, you can add sugar at this stage. I’m skipping the sugar to enjoy the natural flavor of the red beans. Enjoy a warm bowl of red bean porridge for a comforting winter meal!
