Japanese Red Bean Soup with Mochi (Shiratama Zenzai)

Rinse the beans to clean off the impurities.

Boil the red bean with water for 1 hour or until beans are soften and mushy.

Add in the sugar and stir well.

Put in a blender to puree the soup for a smoother consistency.

Put the sweet rice flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly add in the warm water, while stirring to form a dough. The dough can’t be too wet, or it will not hold its shape. Cover with a damp towel.

Roll the red bean or mung bean paste into tiny round balls and set aside for wrapping.

Now boil some water in a small pot, take out a small piece of the dough, about 1” in diameter, wrap the fillings and seal it, and roll into round balls.

While you are assembling, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the balls and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking.

Remove from the pot once the balls started to float to the surface. Add the balls in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Add in the balls into the red bean soup only when you are about to serve.