Black Beans for New Year

[helenjp]

Black Beans for New Year

This is one of the trio of festive dishes for New Year in Japan – black beans, salted herring roe, and candied dried fish – served as drink snacks.

This recipe makes a smaller amount than most traditional recipes, and is also less sweet – feel free to add sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Although ginger is sometimes used as a garnish, it is not traditionally used when cooking the beans…except in my family!

Left-over black beans go well in the first bento of the year, and also in an-mitsu-mame desserts, or with left-over vinegared flower-cut lotus root.

Alternatively, make this Edo-period New Year okowa dish. Cook mochi-gome (“sweet” or “sticky” rice) colored yellow with kuchinashi, and with these beans added.

• 1/2 c black beans (70 g approx.)
  
• 2 c water
  
• 1 rusty nail
  
• 70 g sugar (1/3 c. approx.)
  
• 1/2 T soy sauce
  
• ginger, several slices, optional
  
• red chorogi or other garnish, optional
  

* Bring seasonings and water to the boil, add washed, drained beans and nail, put the lid on, and leave overnight.

* Next day, bring to boil, and allow to simmer until softened to your taste. As this is such a small recipe, take care that the beans don’t scorch – alternatively, microwave.

* If you like your beans wrinkly, allow water level to drop (stir to avoid sticking), and add part of the sugar when the water level is well down.

* If you like your beans plump, don't allow water level to drop below the top of the beans, and use a piece of cloth or baking paper as a drop lid, to ensure that the beans don’t touch the air. A regular drop lid would squash the beans.

* When ready, cool in liquid. To serve, drain slightly, serve mixed with red chorogi, or with a topping such as shredded ginger, gold leaf, shredded yuzu peel etc.

Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Vegan, Beans, Japanese

( RG2065 )