Mizu Yokan
Often enjoyed during the summer days, Mizu yokan, a chilled Japanese red bean jelly with chestnut is a traditional sweet in Japan.
Servings: 1 mizu yokan (6” x 5.25” x 1.5”)
Calories: 1388kcal
Ingredients
- 14 oz sweet red bean paste (anko) (Use "koshian" fine red bean paste; the sweetness of red bean paste varies, depending on homemade or store-bought brands. You may need to adjust with additional sugar.)
- 1 ½ cup water
- 4 g kanten powder (1 package; See Notes)
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 jar kuri kanroni (chestnuts in heavy syrup) (7 oz, 200 g)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I use a nagashikan (6 x 5 x 2 inch or 15 x 13.5 x 4.5 cm). If you do not use a nagashikan, you might want to use a plastic wrap for easy removable out of the mold later on.
- In a small saucepan, pour 1 ½ cup water and add 1 package (4 g) powdered kanten. Whisk well and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat and let powdered kanten dissolve completely, about 2 minutes.
- Add red bean paste and dissolve the paste with a silicone spatula.
- Once red bean paste has completely dissolved, add salt and remove from the heat to let it cool a bit, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour mixture into the pan until the bottom of the nagashikan is covered, about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thickness. Then let it cool at room temperature until the mixture is solidified, about 10 minutes (time varies depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
- Once solidified, put the chestnuts on top with equal spacing from each other.
- Pour the rest of mixture over so that it will cover the chestnuts. Let it cool on the counter for about 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator until it has completely chilled, about 2 hours.
- Run a knife around the edge of nagashikan and lift the inner removable tray.
- Cut into 3 rectangular shapes and then slice each rectangular piece into ½ to 1 inch (1.3-2.5cm) thickness. Serve chilled. If it can't be consumed at once, keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Notes
Kanten Powder: Kanten needs to be heated to dissolve properly. The powdered form of kanten is easiest to measure and use; bars and flakes should be dissolved in water first. It sets in about an hour at room temperature (Source).
If you are using kanten stick: You will need to rinse it carefully and break it into pieces to soak them in water for 30 minutes. This will help dissolve kanten faster. Squeeze the water out from the pieces and they are ready to use.
If you want to use gelatin or agar: 1 tsp kanten powder = 2 tsp powder gelatin or agar
In order to set 1 cup (250 ml) of liquid, you will need:
- Kanten powder = 1 tsp (2 g)
- Kanten stick = ½ stick (4 g)
- Kanten thread = 12 threads (4 g)
Nutrition
Serving: 1 whole sheet · Calories: 1388 kcal · Carbohydrates: 317 g · Protein: 24 g · Fat: 21 g · Saturated Fat: 20 g · Sodium: 544 mg · Potassium: 1725 mg · Fiber: 20 g · Sugar: 228 g · Vitamin A: 20 IU · Calcium: 155 mg · Iron: 21 mg