Japanese Sekihan — Vegan Red Bean Rice
Sekihan is Japan’s beloved celebratory red rice — fluffy yet pleasantly chewy glutinous rice cooked together with tender azuki beans, giving the grains a beautiful soft pinkish-red hue and subtle natural sweetness. Lightly seasoned with a pinch of salt, topped with black sesame seeds, and fragrant in its simplicity. Served on happy occasions to symbolize health, prosperity, and good fortune — now fully vegan and just as delicious, wholesome, and meaningful!
Shared by yuki
Time
75 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Rice & Beans;
- 2 cups glutinous rice (short-grain sweet rice) — also called mochigome
- ½ cup dried red azuki beans
- 3½–4 cups water — divided (for beans + for steaming)
- #Seasoning & Toppings;
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1–2 tsp sugar (optional, traditional touch — use vegan sugar)
- 1 tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
- A few fresh mitsuba leaves or sansho pepper sprig — for garnish (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Soak the rice: Rinse glutinous rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Soak in cold water for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, then drain well. This ensures the signature fluffy-chewy texture.
- 2
Cook the azuki beans gently: Rinse beans and place in a pot with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, discard this first water to reduce bitterness. Return beans to pot, add fresh 3 cups water, simmer on low heat 30–40 minutes until tender but keep whole — do not mash or burst. Measure 2½ cups of the cooking liquid — this colours and flavours the rice. Add extra water if needed to reach 2½ cups. Let liquid cool slightly.
- 3
Combine & steam: Place drained rice into a heavy pot or rice cooker bowl. Add the reserved azuki cooking liquid, salt, and optional sugar — stir gently. Scatter the cooked beans evenly on top — do not mix in fully yet, so grains cook evenly and beans stay intact.
- 4
#Cook until fluffy:
- 5
Rice cooker: Select “glutinous rice” or standard white rice setting. Let it steam and rest 15 minutes after cycle finishes — do not open lid yet.
- 6
Stovetop: Bring to a boil, reduce to lowest heat, cover tightly, simmer 20 minutes. Turn off heat and steam 15 minutes more undisturbed.
- 7
Fluff & serve: Gently fold beans into rice with a paddle — grains will be beautifully pink and fragrant. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle generously with toasted black sesame seeds. Serve warm — simple, elegant, and full of joy!