Red Rice

Ingredients

• •1/2 cups Japanese red beans
• •8-1/2 cups water
• •2-1/2 cups Japanese sweet rice
• •3 teaspoonfuls black sesame seeds
• •4 parsley sprigs

Directions

1. 1Wash the beans. Place in a saucepan with 3 1/2 cups of water, and soak overnight. Heat on low heat until boiling, then drain. Add 5 cups water, cover, simmer for 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
2. 2Drain, and save the liquid. Cover with a lid, so the beans won’t dry out.
3. 3Wash the Japanese red beans, and drain. Soak overnight in the water reserved from cooking the beans.
4. 4In the morning, drain the rice in a sieve, saving the water again.
5. 5Put the rice and beans in a steamer and mix together.
6. 6Sprinkle with the reserved bean water every 10 minutes, and loosen with a wooden spatula to allow steam to penetrate better.
7. 7Steam 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
8. 8After the mixture is cooked, place in a serving bowl, and mix in the black sesame seeds and salt mixture. Decorate with parsley.