Hearty Patjuk (Red Bean Porridge) with Rice and Rice Balls
A savory and hearty traditional Dongji red bean porridge cooked with glutinous rice and chewy rice balls.
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 →
This red bean porridge serves 4 to 5, made by boiling and blending red beans, cooking the glutinous rice first in the clear upper liquid, and then finishing with the bean puree and rice balls. Blanching the rice balls separately keeps them chewy without breaking apart. Season with salt or sugar to your liking.
- Servings
- 4–5 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
- Red beans2 cups
- Glutinous rice1 cup
- Glutinous rice balls (saealsim)50 (or so)
- Glutinous rice flour2 cups
- Hot water1 cup
- Salt1 tsp
- Salt
- Sugar
- Soak 1 cup of glutinous rice in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
- If you love red bean porridge, boil a generous batch of red beans, blend them, portion them out, and freeze them to cut your work by more than half for a quick bowl anytime.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Today's red bean porridge will be cooked by adding glutinous rice into the red bean liquid.
First, you need 2 cups of red beans and 2 cups of glutinous rice flour to make the rice balls. Soak 1 cup of glutinous rice in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
Related post on the blog (Korean)blog.naver.com/ppunwife/223290277914Since I made it the exact same way as last year, I skipped the detailed photos, but if you click the photo above, you can see how to boil red beans and shape the rice balls in detail.
Settle the red bean puree
Add water to the boiled red beans that are cooked soft enough to mash easily, and blend them finely in a blender.
Because we will use only the clear upper liquid to cook the glutinous rice, let the red bean puree settle to the bottom.
If you simmer with the puree included, the bottom burns easily and the consistency becomes very thick, taking a long time for the glutinous rice to cook.
While boiling the red beans, make hot water dough with glutinous rice flour and shape the rice balls.
Blanch the rice balls
Drop the prepared rice balls into rolling boiling water; once they float, they are cooked, so rinse them in cold water and drain.
Cooking the rice balls beforehand and adding them to the porridge at the very end keeps them from breaking apart and preserves their chewy texture.
Simmer the glutinous rice porridge
After letting the red bean puree settle, pour only the clear upper liquid into the pot, add the glutinous rice, and bring it to a boil.
If the red bean liquid runs low before the glutinous rice is cooked through, simply add more water as you simmer.
Finish the red bean porridge
Once the glutinous rice is soft and well cooked, add the settled red bean puree and season with a little salt to taste.
If you have a large batch and plan to save leftovers, do not season it now; instead, season with salt or sugar to taste right before eating.
Finally, add the rice balls and simmer briefly just until they are heated through.
Finish
Ladle the red bean porridge into bowls, top with a good amount of rice balls, and garnish with nuts such as chestnuts or pine nuts to make it even nuttier.
It is savory and delicious seasoned with just salt, or you can enjoy it sweet like sweet red bean porridge by adding sugar.
I seasoned mine with a ratio of about 1:3 salt to sugar and finished a bowl in no time.
If you love red bean porridge, boil a generous batch of red beans, blend them, portion them out, and freeze them to cut your work by more than half for a quick bowl anytime.
Temperatures are dropping further and snow is in the forecast, so stay safe and have a warm Friday night.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you simmer with the puree included, the bottom burns easily and the consistency becomes very thick, taking a long time for the glutinous rice to cook.
- Cooking the rice balls beforehand and adding them to the porridge at the very end keeps them from breaking apart and preserves their chewy texture.
- If you have a large batch and plan to save leftovers, do not season it now; instead, season with salt or sugar to taste right before eating.
- Ladle the red bean porridge into bowls, top with a good amount of rice balls, and garnish with nuts such as chestnuts or pine nuts to make it even nuttier.
FAQ
Why do you blanch the rice balls separately before adding them?
Cooking them first in boiling water, rinsing in cold water, and adding them at the end keeps the rice balls from dissolving in the porridge and maintains their chewy texture.
Why don't you add the red bean puree right away when cooking the rice?
Simmering with the dense puree from the start easily scorches the bottom of the pot and thickens the porridge too much, making the glutinous rice take much longer to cook through.
Can I season the red bean porridge ahead of time if storing leftovers?
If you are saving leftover porridge, it is best not to season it in advance, but rather add salt or sugar to your taste right before eating.
Is there a shortcut for making red bean porridge frequently?
Boiling a large batch of red beans at once, blending them finely, portioning them out, and storing them in the freezer will cut down the cooking time significantly.
