Sweet and Hearty Yakbap (Korean Sweet Rice)
Easy Homemade Yakbap Recipe – Perfect for Holidays!
I made this simple Yakbap as an alternative to Songpyeon for Chuseok. This delicious traditional Korean sweet rice is made with sticky glutinous rice, a sweet sauce, and plenty of nuts, dates, and chestnuts, making it a nutritious snack the whole family will love.
Main Ingredients- 3 cups glutinous rice
- 20 cooked chestnuts (peeled)
- 20 dried dates
- 1 handful dried cranberries (or raisins)
- 2 handfuls pine nuts
Sauce- 2.5 cups water infused with date seeds (boil 3 cups water with date seeds, then strain)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2.5 cups water infused with date seeds (boil 3 cups water with date seeds, then strain)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the chestnuts, dried dates, dried cranberries (or raisins), and pine nuts in advance. If using frozen chestnuts, thaw them first. Remove the seeds from the dried dates. Clean the pine nuts by removing any outer husks or germs.
Step 2
Soak the 3 cups of glutinous rice the night before, for at least 6 hours. After soaking, drain the water completely using a sieve. This ensures the rice cooks up perfectly chewy and not mushy.
Step 3
Rinse the dried dates thoroughly and remove the seeds. You can slice them around the pit without cutting through, or chop them into bite-sized pieces. Don’t discard the seeds; we’ll use them to make the flavorful cooking water for the Yakbap.
Step 4
Let’s make the date seed infused water for extra flavor! Place the cleaned date seeds into a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes to extract the flavor. Strain the liquid to get clear water, which will be used as the cooking liquid for the Yakbap.
Step 5
In a large bowl, pour in the 2.5 cups of date seed infused water, and add 1 cup of brown sugar.
Step 6
Add 3 Tbsp of soy sauce to the mixture.
Step 7
Stir in 3 Tbsp of sesame oil and 1/3 tsp of ground cinnamon. Whisk everything together until the brown sugar is completely dissolved, creating the sweet sauce. If you prefer, you can use a cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon for a more aromatic flavor.
Step 8
Add the thoroughly drained glutinous rice to the inner pot of an electric pressure cooker. Depending on your cooker, lightly greasing the pot can prevent the rice from sticking.
Step 9
Arrange the prepared chestnuts, dried dates, and dried cranberries (or raisins) evenly over the soaked glutinous rice. Pour the prepared sauce evenly over everything in the pot.
Step 10
Gently stir with a spatula to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed among the rice and other ingredients. Then, close the lid and press the ‘Cook’ or ‘Multi-grain’ button to start cooking.
Step 11
While the Yakbap is cooking, take this time to clean the pine nuts. Remove any remaining germs or bits of husk attached to the pine nuts. We’ll add the pine nuts at the end to preserve their crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
Step 12
If you add the pine nuts during the cooking process, they can become too soft and lose their texture. Adding them after the Yakbap is cooked ensures they remain pleasantly crunchy. Follow this tip for the best nutty flavor!
Step 13
Once the pressure cooker signals that cooking is complete, open the lid immediately without letting it sit and steam.
Step 14
Carefully transfer the hot Yakbap from the cooker. Sprinkle the prepared pine nuts generously over the top. Using a spatula, gently mix the pine nuts into the Yakbap, being careful not to mash the rice. Ensure the pine nuts are distributed evenly.
Step 15
Let the finished Yakbap cool slightly before slicing it into desired portions. It’s easier to cut neat pieces when the Yakbap is slightly cooled rather than piping hot. Enjoy your delicious homemade Yakbap!
