Dongji Patjuk (Winter Solstice Red Bean Porridge) with Chewy Rice Dumplings
A hearty winter specialty porridge made by finely blending well-boiled red beans and simmering them with short-grain white rice and hot-water-kneaded rice dumplings.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Boil red beans, blend them finely, and simmer smoothly and fragrantly with soaked rice and hot-water-kneaded rice dumplings. The secret to this recipe is discarding the first boil of bean water to remove any astringency, then cooking the rice first in the clear upper liquid so it does not scorch. It is a warm, comforting bowl ideal for the whole family to enjoy together on the winter solstice.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Red beans1 cup (150 g)
- Short-grain white rice1/2 cup (75 g)
- Water10 cups (or more)
Rice Dumplings
- Glutinous rice flour1 cup (100 g)
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Hot water1/3 cup (6 tbsp)
For Seasoning
- Salt1 tsp
- Sugar1 tbsp (adjust to taste)
- If you like rice dumplings, increase the glutinous rice flour to make plenty; if you prefer the rice porridge base, increase the short-grain white rice flour.
Steps
1. Here are 1 cup of red beans, 1 cup of glutinous rice flour, and half a cup of short-grain white rice.
2. First, cleanly sort through 1 cup of red beans, wash them in water, pour in 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
After boiling for about 5 minutes, red bean water will come out. Discard this water.
Not only does it have an astringent taste, but it also contains components that cause stomachaches.
Pour in about 5 cups of water again and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat to low and simmer.
As the red beans cook, the water will reduce. Pour in about 5 cups more and simmer until the red beans are completely soft.
3. Soak half a cup of short-grain white rice in cold water.
4. This is the glutinous rice flour for shaping the rice dumplings. Pour 1/3 cup of hot water into 1 cup of flour gradually as you mix.
It is hot, so stir with a spoon at first, then knead by hand into a dough.
As you may know, rice flour should be kneaded with hot water.
5. Shape them into neat little round balls. It depends on the size, but I made 20 dumplings.
6. Here are the red beans after simmering for a little over 1 hour. Just simmer them thoroughly until they can be crushed easily by hand.
7. Pour about 3 cups of water into the boiled red beans and blend using a blender or immersion blender.
There are lots of nutrients in the bean skins, so I blended them as they were.
8. Strain the blended red beans through a sieve. Press down with a spatula so the liquid drains through to the bottom.
The bean sediment remaining in the sieve will be added and simmered together at the very end.
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9. This is the red bean liquid left to settle. Put the soaked rice into a pot, pour in only the clear upper liquid, and bring to a boil.
If you simmer from the start with bean solids in the liquid, the bottom will scorch, which is why we boil with the clear upper liquid first.
Boil over high heat for about 5 minutes, then simmer over low heat.
10. When the rice cooks and thickens, pour in the settled bean liquid and simmer over low heat.
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10. When the rice is almost completely cooked...
12. Add the rice dumplings and simmer. It is best to shape the dumplings small.
If the dumplings are large, they do not cook through easily, so you can also cook them beforehand in boiling water, rinse them in cold water, set them aside, and add them at the end to boil once more.
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13. Once the rice dumplings are fully cooked, add the red bean solids that were strained earlier, and...
14. Season with salt and sugar, then serve.
My seasoning will probably taste slightly mild. Adjust with salt or sugar to your liking when eating.
Ppunwife's tips
- After boiling for about 5 minutes, red bean water will emerge. Discard this water. It not only carries an astringent taste, but also contains compounds that can cause stomachaches.
- If you simmer from the start with bean solids in the liquid, the bottom will scorch, which is why we boil with the clear upper liquid first.
- If the dumplings are large, they do not cook through easily, so you can also cook them beforehand in boiling water, rinse them in cold water, set them aside, and add them at the end to boil once more.
FAQ
Why do I need to discard the first water used to boil the red beans?
The red water produced from the first boil contains astringent flavors and compounds that can cause an upset stomach, so pour it off, add fresh water, and simmer again.
Why do you use the clear upper liquid of the settled bean water first when cooking the rice?
If you cook from the beginning with the red bean sediment mixed in, it easily scorches on the bottom of the pot, so cook the rice first using the clear upper liquid before adding the thicker sediment water.
How should I cook the rice dumplings if I made them large?
Large dumplings do not cook through easily to the center, so boil them in advance in boiling water, rinse in cold water, set aside, and add them toward the end of cooking the porridge to simmer once more.
How do you knead the rice flour when making the rice dumpling dough?
Gradually pour hot water into the glutinous rice flour, mix with a spoon, and then knead by hand using the hot-water kneading method.
