Servings: 4
Kuromame (Sweetened Black Beans) 黒豆
Make simple and delicious traditional Japanese sweetened black soybeans with this easy recipe. Perfect for New Year's celebrations, as an everyday side dish, and bento boxes!
Ingredients
- 100 g black soybeans *or ½ cup
- 90 g caster sugar *or ½ cup
- 2 cups water
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp bicarb soda
Instructions
- Rinse the black soybeans and drain.
- Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and add the sugar, soy sauce, salt and bicarb soda.
- Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and while the sauce is hot, add the black soybeans (kuromame).
- Add 3-5 rusty nails in a tea bag or wrapped in muslin cloth into the saucepan also (see substitutions for the nails in the post above).
- Put a lid on and leave it for 7-8 hours or overnight in room temperature.
- Next day, Take the lid off and bring the soaked beans to boil over high heat.
- When scum starts to form on the top, turn the heat to low and remove the scum from the top with a ladle.
- After removing all the scum, turn the heat to high, add a half cup of water and bring to boil again.
- Turn the heat down to low and remove the scum again from the top.
- Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the beans and simmer over low heat for 3-4 hours.
- Occasionally check under the drop lid to make sure the water is covering the beans. If not, add more water.
- After 3-4 hours, check if the beans are soft, and if they are then remove from heat and serve!
Notes
The black beans must be soaked in hot liquid (the sugar, soy sauce, salt liquid) so that the beans become soft without becoming wrinkled.
Nutrition
Calories: 486kcal, Carbohydrates: 114g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1383mg, Potassium: 376mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 90g, Vitamin A: 6IU, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg