← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 400 g glutinous (sweet) rice
• 150 g Peeled chestnuts (cooked or vacuum-packed), halved
• 60 g dried jujubes (about 12), pitted and quartered
• 2 tbsp Pine nuts
• 120 g dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Toasted sesame oil, plus extra for the dish
• 2 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Method

1. Rinse the rice well and soak it in cold water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain.
2. Line a steamer with a damp cloth, spread the rice in it and steam over boiling water for 30 min, sprinkling it with a little salted water halfway through. It should be cooked but still separate.
3. While it steams, stir the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, syrup, cinnamon and salt together in a big bowl.
4. Tip the hot rice into the bowl and mix until every grain is evenly brown. Fold in the chestnuts, jujubes and pine nuts.
5. Put it back in the steamer and steam for 30–40 min more, until deep brown, glossy and sticky.
6. Press it firmly into a dish brushed with sesame oil, let it cool a little and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Wrap squares individually and freeze; a few seconds in the microwave makes them soft again.
• Use tamari to make it gluten-free. Contains tree nuts.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari