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Sekihan with sasage beans, rich rice dish, garnished with fresh sesame seeds
Japanese Sekihan, rich with sesame seeds and mouth-watering ingredients

Sekihan

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses Quick Meals
Sekihan (meaning: red rice) is Japan's celebratory dish. It is served at birthdays and weddings because the red colour is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. The rice isn't coloured by food dye, but naturally by the cooking water of 'azuki' or 'sasage' beans turning it pale pink. The chewy texture of the glutinous rice (mochigome) and the simplicity of savoury sesame seeds (gomasio) make it special.
🕒 Prep Time 1 hr 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 700 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Japanese (Festive)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Rice cooker or heavy-based saucepan
  • Sieve

Allergen Information

⚠️ Soya
⚠️ Sesame

Instructions

1 ✓

Wash the beans and put them on to boil in water. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain the water (this removes the bitter taste). Pour on fresh water and cook until soft but don't let them fall apart! (approx. 30-40 minutes).

Tip: The beans must remain biteable.
2 ✓

Drain the beans, BUT keep the cooking liquid! Let the liquid cool. Wash the rice and let it drain.

Tip: In hot liquid, the rice would cook too fast on the outside while staying raw inside. The liquid's colour gives the rice its pink hue.
3 ✓

Heat sesame oil in a pan, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the rice and boiled beans, toss to coat.

Tip: Tossing rice in oil (pilaf technique) helps the grains stay separate.
4 ✓

Pour in the bean cooking liquid (top up with water if needed, according to rice requirements), add soy sauce and mirin. Cook covered on low heat until the rice is tender and has absorbed the water (approx. 15-20 minutes).

Tip: Don't lift the lid, the steam is working.
5 ✓

Turn off the heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled generously with gomasio (salted sesame seeds).

Tip: The salty taste of gomasio highlights the sweetness of the rice.

Recipe FAQ

Why are sasage beans better than azuki?
Traditionally sasage beans are used because their skins don't split during cooking. 'Azuki' beans tend to burst, which in samurai culture evoked 'belly-cutting' (seppuku), so was considered a bad omen.

Ingredients

  • 100 g Sasage beans (or azuki beans)
  • 300 g Glutinous rice (Mochigome, or sushi rice)
  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce (optional, for flavour)
  • 1 tbsp Mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1 head Onion (finely chopped - fusion element)
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp Gomasio (toasted salted sesame seeds)
  • 600 ml Water (for boiling beans and rice)
  • 0.5 tsp Pepper