In Japan, there are traditional dishes enjoyed on special occasions, and one of them is sekihan (Japanese red bean rice). While sekihan is commonly made with azuki beans, this recipe uses sasage (cowpeas), which are widely used in western Japan.
By mixing a small amount of regular (uruchi) rice into glutinous rice, you keep the chewy texture while making it lighter and easier to eat, and it’s less likely to firm up as it cools. In addition, soaking and cooking the rice in the bean-cooking liquid seasoned with salt, sake, and kombu adds depth and complexity and gives the dish a bright, festive look.
With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, it’s hard to go wrong—enjoy fluffy, delicious sekihan.
Table of Contents
What is Sekihan?
“Sekihan” (Japanese red bean rice) is glutinous rice cooked until it takes on a red tint, a traditional dish eaten on auspicious days in Japan—birthdays, weddings, and seasonal festivals. Red has long symbolized warding off evil and inviting good fortune, and simply placing sekihan on the table brings a festive atmosphere.
While azuki beans are commonly used, sasage (cowpeas) are also widely used, especially in western Japan. Because azuki skins split easily when boiled—a reminder of “haragire” (seppuku) considered inauspicious in some regions—sasage, whose skins hold and shape stays neat, has been favored for celebrations. Moreover, the name sasage echoes sasageru (“to offer/dedicate”), so the beans have also been considered auspicious for offerings to deities and ancestors.
Sekihan is more than just rice cooked with beans; it is a dish filled with love—made to wish for the health and happiness of loved ones and to celebrate life’s milestones with gratitude. The very act of cooking it carries the cook’s warm wishes and prayers, and those who eat it receive not only the flavor but also the feeling behind it—a truly heart-warming dish.
Ingredients (Serves 4-5)
- Glutinous rice (mochigome) - 2½ go (1.9 US cups) / 13.2 oz / 375 g
- Regular rice (uruchi) - ½ go (0.4 cup) / 2.6 oz / 75 g
- Sasage (cowpeas) - — / 2.8 oz / 80 g (Recommended because the skins don’t split easily; azuki beans can be substituted.)
- Water - as needed
- Salt - 1 tsp / 0.21 oz / 6 g
- Black toasted sesame seeds - to taste
- Cooking sake - 2 tbsp / 1.0 oz / 30 g
- Kombu (dried kelp) - 0.18 oz / 5 g
Instructions
| 1 |
 | Lightly rinse the sasage beans. Place them in a pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drain in a colander to discard the water and remove any bitterness/foam. |
| 2 |
 | Add 600 ml fresh water and simmer over low-medium heat for 20–30 minutes, until a bean can be lightly crushed between your fingers. |
| 3 |
 | Separate the beans from the cooking liquid. For the next step, where you combine it with the rice, reserve 510 ml (2⅛ cups) of the liquid—top up with water if needed—and let it cool. Tip Gently stir the reserved liquid so it’s exposed to air; this aeration oxidizes the anthocyanins, stabilizing the color and yielding a vivid red. |
| 4 |
 |
Tip Adding a portion of regular (uruchi) rice keeps the pleasant chew while making the texture lighter and easier to eat. It also stays softer after cooling—great for bento or potlucks—and helps stabilize water absorption and heat transfer, making it harder to fail whether using a rice cooker or a steamer. |
| 5 |
 |
Drain the soaked rice and add the reserved bean cooking liquid. Add salt, cooking sake, and kombu, mix gently, and soak for 2 hours to overnight. (If soaking for a long time, cover and refrigerate the rice along with the reserved beans.) Tip Soaking in seasoned bean liquid (with salt and kombu) infuses both color and umami, elevating flavor and appearance. Glutinous rice tends to taste best with slightly less water because it absorbs readily—this balances chew and grain definition and stays tasty even when cool. Since this recipe includes some regular rice, the base amount is balanced; feel free to reduce the liquid by 20–40 ml to taste. |
| 6 |
 | Add the reserved sasage beans to the soaked rice. Cover and cook over medium heat; once it reaches a boil, reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes. |
| 7 |
 | Turn off the heat and let it steam for 10 minutes. |
| 8 |
 | Gently fluff to release excess steam without making it gummy, then plate. Finish with black toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of salt. |
Pressure Cooker or Rice Cooker Method
Sekihan can also be made in a pressure cooker or a rice cooker, and each method has its strengths. A pressure cooker delivers firm chew in less time, while the aroma of the beans and the umami-rich cooking liquid penetrate each grain for a deeper, fuller flavor.
A rice cooker is hands-off and reliable, perfect for everyday meals. If your model has a “sticky rice/okowa” setting, you’ll get consistently plump results.
All methods yield delicious sekihan, so choose the one that suits your time and occasion—and enjoy making it your way.
Pressure Cooker
Cooking sekihan in a pressure cooker intensifies the chewy texture, plumps up the beans, enhances the aroma, and helps the umami-rich bean broth permeate each grain. The rice turns out plump, tender, and glossy—and it cooks quickly and efficiently, making this method highly recommended.
Method
Rinse the rice (do not soak). As in the stovetop method, cook the beans through Step 4 of the instructions, then combine the measured bean cooking liquid with the rinsed rice—still without soaking—and transfer directly to the pressure cooker. Add the reserved sasage, lock the lid, and bring to pressure over high heat. Once at pressure, reduce to low heat and cook 3 minutes under pressure. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally. Open the lid, gently fold to fluff, and serve.
Rice Cooker
A rice cooker is hands-off and reliable, producing fluffy results and making sekihan easy to enjoy any day. If your model has a sticky rice/okowa setting, it’s especially consistent and recommended.
Method
Follow the stovetop instructions through Step 6, then transfer the rice and measured liquid to the rice cooker bowl, place the reserved sasage on top, and close the lid. Cook on the sticky rice/okowa program. If your cooker doesn’t have that mode, use the regular white-rice program; using slightly less water helps prevent gumminess.
When the cycle ends, let the rice steam for 10 minutes, then fluff by cutting through with a rice paddle. Plate and serve.