Happy (super) belated Chinese New Year. I actually made this on the holiday, but didn't bother This is perhaps one of the easiest, simplest traditional eastern asian dessert recipes of all time.
I asked my father to scope out the local asian supermarket for red bean paste. I usually get them semi-mashed in cans, but this one came fully pureed in a plastic pouch. On top of not being in the most convenient container for a paste, the nutrition facts were a lie. They read "Sugar 0g", so I was ready to add about 1 cup of brown sugar. Thankfully, I tasted the paste, and after realizing how sweet it was, I re-read the nutrition facts and saw the first ingredient listed as "sugar". . How could they!
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| Trying to squeeze red bean paste out of a plastic pouch...doesn't this look appetizing? |
This was my first time working with gelatin. My first impression was that blooming gelatin smells like walking through a biology lab and being hit with the mucky, dank odors of yeast plates and LB broth. Yum. Just want I want in my food.
To make sure your jelly has set, you can be stupid like me and lift it over your head. Does something cold and slimy fall on your hair and face? No? Then, congrats! Your jelly is definitely jelly-ed.
Et voila - the magic of gelatin and 3 hours in the fridge.
red bean jelly
1 cup sweetened red bean paste
1 packet of gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup warmed water
Optional: 1/2 tsp of vanilla, pinch of salt, black sesame seeds for decoration
1. Add the red bean paste to a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, pour out the gelatin packet.
3. Add 1/4 cup cold water and let it sit and "bloom" for a few minutes.
4. When it has gelled, stir in 1/2 cup warmed water and dissolve it.
5. Add the gelatin mixture to the red bean paste. Stir until well mixed.
6. Pour into pan and let it sit for 2-3 hours, or until the jelly has set.
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