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Patjuk
Red bean porridge
Patjuk (팥죽): Korean red bean porridge with chewy rice balls, eaten at the winter solstice
On Dongji, the winter solstice, Korean families eat a bowl of deep red patjuk: the colour was believed to drive away bad spirits on the longest night, and grandmothers still flick a little on the gate. Adzuki beans are boiled soft, pushed through a sieve and simmered with rice into a thick, earthy porridge, and little balls of glutinous rice dough called saealsim, one for each year of your age by tradition, are cooked in it. It is lightly salted; in Jeolla people add sugar. A bowl is about 380 kcal. The most common mistake is not stirring the bottom once the rice goes in; the thick porridge catches and burns quickly. Chef's tip: throw away the first boiling water of the beans; it removes bitterness and makes the porridge taste cleaner.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the porridge
- 7 oz adzuki beans (pat)rinsed
- 8 ¼ cups waterplus 500 ml for the first boil
- 2 ⅛ oz short-grain ricesoaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)to taste
For the rice balls
- 3 ½ oz glutinous rice flour
- ¼ cup hot waterabout
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 7 oz adzuki beans (pat) to the boil in 500 ml of water, boil for 3 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
5 minStep 2: Return the beans to the pot with 8 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil and simmer partly covered for 50–60 minutes, until a bean crushes completely between your fingers.
60 minStep 3: Blend the beans with their liquid, or push them through a sieve to remove the skins, to a smooth, thin purée. Return to the pot.
5 minStep 4: Meanwhile, mix 3 ½ oz glutinous rice flour and 1 pinch salt with ¼ cup hot water a little at a time and knead to a smooth, soft dough, like earlobe. Roll into marble-sized balls.
10 minStep 5: Add the drained 2 ⅛ oz short-grain rice to the bean purée and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the rice is soft and the porridge thick.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does patjuk take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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Perfect for:Winter warmers