Osekihan (Japanese Festivity Rice)

Directions

1. Preparation (Night Before Cooking) Wash the sticky rice in water and soak for about 30 minutes before use.
2. Preparation (Night Before Cooking) Boil the red beans (Aduki). Bring to boil and gently boil for about 2-3 minutes in water and drain out the water to cool for about 5 minutes. Return the beans back into the pan with about 7 cups of water, boil in medium to low heat for about 15-20minutes without letting the beans split. The beans should be slightly stiff but NOT HARD. Separate the beans and the red bean water; refrigerate the beans (without letting it go dry) and let the red bean water cool. Once the red bean water has cooled, soak the sticky rice overnight.
3. Drain the stick rice before cooking.
4. Soak the pre-cooked 1 cup of red beans in 3/4 cups of red bean juice(1) + 3/4 teaspoon of salt (*).
5. Using a steamer, wrap the drained sticky rice in a ‘steaming cloth’. Steaming in high heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add (*) mixing evenly in a big bowl.
6. Place it back in the steamer, to steam for 20 minutes or so occasionally turning the rice upside down to avoid uneven steaming and watering (spraying) it with you hands to avoid letting it to go dry.
7. The rice will slightly stiffen once cool so see if the rice is soft enough after 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool wrapped within the steamer cloth and place the rice in a container without letting it go dry.