How to Boil Red Beans for Patbingsu Using a Rice Cooker – Simple and Delicious!
Rice Cooker Method! Super Easy Recipe for Boiling Soft and Tasty Red Beans for Patbingsu
As the weather gets warmer, the kids start asking for patbingsu! Enjoy a homemade shaved ice dessert that’s even tastier than store-bought, with various toppings like fruits and rice cakes. Using a rice cooker makes the entire process, from soaking to boiling, incredibly simple. You can customize your patbingsu at home with fresh fruits, chewy rice cakes, and more!
Ingredients- Soaked red beans (using a rice bowl as a measure) 1 bowl
- Salt a pinch
- Sugar 3-4 Tbsp (adjust to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare your red beans. Soak the red beans in water for at least half a day or up to a full day until they are well plumped. Using fresh ‘haetpat’ (newly harvested beans) results in a softer and more delicious texture. Older beans (‘muk-eun pat’) may take longer to cook and can be quite firm.
Step 2
Since these are fresh beans (‘haetpat’), they don’t have a bitter taste, so we can directly put them in the rice cooker to boil without pre-boiling them in water. Add the soaked beans to the rice cooker and pour in water about 1.5 times the volume of the beans. It’s okay if the mixture seems a bit watery; you can adjust the consistency later by adding sugar and heating, or adding a little more water if it becomes too thick. (If you’re concerned about bitterness, you can boil the beans in water once, discard the water, and then proceed.)
Step 3
Now, set your rice cooker to the ‘Multi-grain Rice’ (Japgokbap) setting and cook for 45 minutes. This setting generally cooks beans more tenderly than the standard white rice setting.
Step 4
After 45 minutes, open the rice cooker. You’ll see that the red beans are perfectly cooked and look incredibly appetizing!
Step 5
Because they were fresh beans, they are wonderfully soft! If you prefer a firmer texture with intact beans, try reducing the amount of water slightly when boiling. Adjusting the water to your preference is key.
Step 6
To the cooked red beans, add a tiny pinch of salt and about 3-4 tablespoons of sugar. The sweetness can be adjusted to your liking. Tasting as you go is the best way to get it just right.
Step 7
You can enjoy the boiled red beans as they are, with whole beans, or mash them with a spoon to create a paste, similar to sweet red bean paste. Either way, they will significantly enhance the flavor of your patbingsu.
Step 8
Transfer the finished red beans to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. When you crave patbingsu, simply scoop some out, pile it generously on shaved ice, and enjoy a fantastic homemade dessert!
Step 9
A refreshing bowl of fruit patbingsu on a warm sunny day will make all the heat disappear!
Step 10
A blueberry patbingsu made with frozen blueberries from your freezer is also incredibly delicious. The combination of tart fruit and sweet beans is always a winner!
