Detailed instructions on how to make simple wagashi at home

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese sweet, made from beans and has a very high aesthetic value. Let’s start working right away with Tnhelearning.edu.vn to bring Japanese cuisine right to your kitchen!

Prepare
15 Minutes Processing
60 Minutes For
3-4 people

Ingredients for making wagashi

Ingredients for making wagashi

• 500g white beans
• 250g red beans
• 400g white granulated sugar
• 20g Japanese glutinous rice flour
• 650ml water
• 2 milk filter bags
• Food coloring

Good tip

To choose to buy delicious white and red beans, you should choose moderately round, glossy, evenly colored and sized beans. Remember to pay attention to choose new seeds, avoid choosing old seeds for a long time.

Red beans are bright red, both types of beans are free from pests, spoilage or unpleasant odors . You can use green beans (with peeled) instead of white beans!

How to make wagashi

Step 1Preliminary processing of beans

Preliminary processing of beans

First, you soak white beans and red beans in water, leave overnight. The next day, you bring white beans to boil in a pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes . Next, use a sieve to pick up the white beans and immediately put them in a bowl of ice water, then use your hands to peel off the bean skins.

Step 2Bean stew

Bean stew

You prepare 2 pots of boiling water, each pot has its own stewed white beans and red beans for 6 hours.

Note : When stewing beans, you can add more water so that the water level is 2 – 3cm higher than the beans, avoiding the situation of running out of water or giving too much water.

Step 3Filter for bean starch

You pour all the white beans (that have been stewed) through the sieve and then wash the beans with clean hands or use a spoon to puree on the surface of the sieve, remove the leftover beans.

Extract white bean starch

Next, you wait for the white bean water to settle for a while , then pour off the clear water at the top, keeping the cloudy water at the bottom.

Extract red bean starch

Put the remaining bean juice in a filter bag, squeeze out the water to keep the white bean starch. You proceed to do the same as above to extract the red bean starch.

Tip : The white bean starch can be stored in the freezer and used within 3 months.

Step 4Make the crust (with white beans)

First, put a non-stick pan on the stove, add 250ml of water and 200g of sugar, then stir with a spoon and bring to a boil. After the sugar water boils, add the white bean starch, slug it on the pan until the mixture dries, then take it out and set it aside in a separate bowl .

Mixed slugs with white beans

Note : At this point you need to use a spoon or spatula to press and stir the white beans continuously, evenly.

Next, you dissolve 150ml of water with 20g of glutinous rice flour, then filter through a sieve to retain the juice. Then, you put a non-stick pan on the stove, pour in the juice, stir until thickened, then add the white bean mixture on top.

Making pie crust

You continue to use a spoon to spread and stir the mixture on the pan, forming a certain soft, flexible dough, then take it out and let it cool before shaping.

Step 5Make the filling (with red beans)

You also follow the same steps as step 4, boil 250ml of water and 200g of sugar in a non-stick pan and then add the squeezed red beans, stir until the mixture is dry.

Making the cake

Good tip

– You should round the red bean mixture because it will be easier to form a shape when you put it in the crust.

– The cake is stored in a bag or food container, put in the refrigerator before shaping.

Step 6Wagashi cake shaping

You put the dough on a flat surface, using your hands to knead until the dough reaches a certain soft consistency. Then, you divide and separate the dough into 8 equal parts to shape.

Knead the dough and color each ball

You can use gel food coloring (color of your choice) to create color. Next, you use a toothpick to take a little color and spread it on each divided dough block and then knead it continuously to make the dough evenly colored , round into colorful balls and then set aside to shape.

Put the filling in the crust

Next, you roll out each dough ball, put the red bean paste inside, and then put the outer edges of the cake in and round it up. You can freely shape according to your preferences, or use a cake mold to create a beautiful shape as you like.

Cool Tip : You can use some baking tools and molds to shape the wagashi like a hedgehog, rabbit, or fish.

Finished product

Wagashi

So you’ve got delicious, beautiful wagashi cakes right away. The cake has a sweet, fragrant taste with many nutrients from beans , you should use it with tea to enjoy the full taste!

Tnhelearning.edu.vn hopes that with the detailed instructions on how to make simple wagashi above, you will be able to bring home the taste of Japan yourself. Show off your finished product right away with Tnhelearning.edu.vn!

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