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cha-tea-manju recipe



Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 08:35:29 -0800
From: Aiko Pinkoski (aiko@mil.emc.com)

Cha(tea)manju  makes 12

100g white flour
35g  dark brown sugar
50g  white sugar
2/3 tsp baking powder
koshian (smooth bean paste) 300-400g (see below)

Break up any chunks in the brown sugar, and mix with 1 TBSP water and the
white sugar in a small saucepan.  Heat on low until sugar is melted, let
cool.

Mix baking powder with 2/3 tsp water, then add to the sugar mixture.

Sift flour then add to the liquid.  Knead into a log (using more flour if
needed), divide into 12 pieces.  

Make 12 little balls with the koshian.  Take each piece of dough and
stretch it out, put a ball of koshian in the middle and wrap it into a
ball shape.  Put each ball on a piece of 1"/3cm square wax paper.

Steam in a steamer lined with a dishcloth for 12-15minutes over boiling
water.

Koshian  (yield: 230g)

1cup adzuki beans (Dainagon is the preferred type... don't ask me why/what!)
2 cups sugar       
1/4tsp salt

Wash beans well.  Simmer with 4 cups water about 40-50minutes.  Add water
if needed to keep the beans covered.  When you can squash a bean easily 
between your fingers, drain the beans and mash them.  In a mesh basket
(preferably bamboo :-) over a large bowl, strain the bean mixture in 
batches by pushing through the mesh under running water (the idea is to 
leave the bean skins in the basket).

Put the liquid you strained into a linen/cotton bag (a jelly bag seems like
it will work... says about 25cmx25cm or 12"x12"), and squeeze out the 
water with your hands by twisting the bag.  

Have a large bowl of water, and knead the bag in the water (this is to
get the bitterness out) changing the water several times.  Squeeze the 
water out at the end as much as possible.

Add an equal amount of sugar into a saucepan with the bean paste from the
bag.  Mix with a wooden spoon and knead over low heat (careful not to burn it).
Add salt and mix to desired "stiffness".
  
Another variation, instead of just adding sugar, make a sugar syrup first
with an equal amount (weight) of sugar, 40% water, and 1% salt.  Then 
add the bean paste and mix well over low heat.

White "an" can be made the same way using white beans.  Change the water
during the inital boing 2-3 times to make sure the beans stay white.
Also, very important in the last step not to start burning!

kwvegan vegan