For a perfect summer treat, try this chilled Japanese dessert made from sweet red bean paste

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — There are some mornings when we wake early, far earlier than we would like to, given it is the weekend. But there is no returning to slumber; we instinctively know this and the only options left are to linger in bed or to get up, though it is still dark outside.

Choose the latter. Choose to rise and do something with the extra hour or two that you have been given.

There is a certain magic about wandering into the kitchen when it’s not quite dawn and navigating by soft, muted yellow lights. It is summertime (or as close to it one can get this close to the equator) and you don’t know yet if it will be sunny or if it will rain.

No matter. You aren’t hungry yet so you will make something for later, something that takes a bit of time and a bit of waiting. Patience is a virtue, they say, and you feel virtuous enough for rising before daybreak.

Stir continuously when cooking to ensure everything is well combined.

But what to make?

You remember a trip to a tongsui shop recently: how even with the varied offerings of bubur cha cha and mak chuk (wheat porridge), of hak loh mai (black glutinous rice) and fah sang wu (peanut paste), the true star of the show remains the ubiquitous red bean.

From hong dau sui (red bean soup) to kuih kacang merah (red bean jellied cake), there seems to be no end to delectable possibilities with the humble yet versatile legume.

And you just happen to have a packet of adzuki bean paste in the kitchen, waiting for inspiration to strike. What good timing.

Pour the cooked mixture into separate serving bowls.

You decide to make mizu yokan, a Japanese jellied dessert made from adzuki bean paste, agar and sugar. While you make it, you brew some coffee too. Why not add some to the mixture?

Why not, indeed — the day is still early, after all, and you can do whatever you decide.

This is a chilled dessert so you will need the jelly to set in the fridge. By the time it is ready, you will know whether it will be rainy or sunny.

It doesn’t really matter though, for you will be rewarded with a bowl of mizu yokan you made yourself, every scoop a simple delight.

Allow the jelly to set before serving.

MIZU YOKAN

This is a recipe I first learned many years ago, when I attended a cooking class in Kyoto. It is one of the simplest to repeat successfully once I returned home, the flavours comfortingly familiar as someone who grew up with ais kacang and red bean soup.

In Japan, a special type of adzuki bean paste called koshian is used; here the beans are passed through a sieve to remove the rough skins, resulting in a smoother texture.

I have found conventional red bean paste available locally works just as well or simply blitz up some soaked, boiled and drained red beans in a food processor. Just remember to sieve the paste to get the smoothest texture possible.

The true departure from the classic Japanese recipe for mizu yokan is in adding some coffee, but for a stronger flavour as well as a little pick-me-up (excellent for the mornings when you wake up far too early).

Don’t forget to pour some fresh cream when serving for a richer finish. Truly a perfect summer treat.

Add cream for a rich finish.

Ingredients

100ml water

½ teaspoon powdered agar

2 teaspoons castor sugar

2 teaspoons coffee (filter or espresso, depending how strong you’d like the taste)

100g sweet red bean paste

12ml fresh cream

Method

Pour water into a medium-sized pot. Sprinkle powdered agar on top and stir briskly till well combined.

Heat the agar-water mixture over low heat, allowing to simmer for a few minutes until the agar has dissolved completely.

Next add the sugar and coffee. Stir until well combined before adding the sweet red bean paste.

Every scoop is a simple delight.

Keep stirring until the mixture is a uniform texture, without lumps, then remove the pot from the heat.

Place the pot in an ice bath (just a large mixing bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes) to quickly cool down the jelly mixture and stop the cooking process.

Once completely cool, pour the cooked mixture into separate serving bowls. Allow the jelly to fully set in the refrigerator, about an hour, before serving.

When the jelly has set, you may remove the dishes from the refrigerator. Pour fresh cream on top of each dish of jelly and serve immediately.

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