Nerikiri

Method

1. 1 Soak white beans for 8 hours, then boil for 50 minutes and strain through a sieve to form a smooth shiroan.
2. 2 Simmer shiroan with sugar over low heat for 20 minutes until the mixture thickens and doesn't stick to the pan.
3. 3 Stuff some steamed glutinous rice flour into the dough to make it pliable and able to be molded for a long time without cracking.
4. 4 Glutinous rice flour is what transforms shiroan into sculptable nerikiri; without it, the block crumbles during shaping.
5. 5 Divide the mixture into blocks and dye them in light colors using matcha and beetroot juice.
6. 6 Wrap the red bean paste inside and mold it into a flower shape using a wooden spoon and bamboo stick.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 1 hr 16 min

  Instead of boiling the beans in step 1: cook the soaked white beans under high pressure for 18 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes; this reduces the cooking time to about 22 minutes compared to the usual 50 minutes of boiling, resulting in evenly tender beans without the need to constantly add water. After opening, strain through a sieve and continue simmering in shiroan in step 2 to control the consistency.