Zenzai (ぜんざい) is a traditional Japanese dessert soup made with azuki beans. This sweet azuki beans soup is served hot with mochi (rice cake) or shiratama dango (glutinous rice flour dumplings) inside the soup. Slightly sweet and with a gentle fragrance from the red beans, it instantly warms up the soul. The toasty, chewy mochi makes everything even better! This dish brings many cozy memories of my childhood, and I can’t resist zenzai whenever it’s offered. Although it’s a wintertime dessert, I crave and enjoy making it all year round, especially in the cooler climate I live in. With a pressure cooker or ready-to-use red bean paste, we can make this Zenzai recipe in no time!
What is Zenzai?
Zenzai (ぜんざい, 善哉) is a traditional Japanese dessert soup made with sweet red bean paste called anko (餡子), sugar, and salt. You might have heard of a different name—oshiruko (お汁粉) or shiruko—for this dessert or one that’s very similar. Let’s talk about that first.
Zenzai vs. Oshiruko
What‘s the difference between zenzai and oshiruko? It depends on the area of Japan! Since my mom is originally from Osaka, I grew up following the Kansai way.
In the Kansai region (Osaka area):
Oshiruko is smooth red bean soup without whole beans. Zenzai is chunky red bean soup with whole beans.
In the Kanto region (Tokyo area):
Oshiruko is any red bean soup, either the smooth or chunky type. Zenzai is not a soup; it’s dry mochi served with chunky red bean paste.
Another difference is that oshiruko is served with shiratama (glutinous rice) dumplings, while zenzai uses toasted mochi.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Zenzai
dried azuki/adzuki beans OR prepared sweet red bean paste (anko) water salt – just a pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt sugar – skip if using store-bought anko, which tends to be sweeter than the homemade version kirimochi (Japanese rice cake) – cut the dried mochi in half or quarters, then heat in the toaster oven until puffed and browned.
How to Make Zenzai: 3 Easy Ways
Method 1: Use a Pressure Cooker
Use the Instant Pot to make delicious red bean soup from dried azuki beans in exactly one hour! I love both my Instant Pots (I have this and this) and use the pressure cooking function to cut down on my time in the kitchen. It’s been a lifesaver! Simply cook the rinsed azuki beans and the measured amount of water under high pressure for 15 minutes, stir in the sugar and salt, and cook on low heat to dissolve.
Method 2: Cook in a Pot over a Stovetop
Don’t have a pressure cooker? You can make it the traditional way. Add rinsed beans to a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Then, simmer over low heat for 1–1.5 hours. When you can easily mash a bean with your fingers, add the sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then keep the mixture warm as you prepare the mochi.
Method 3: Use Store-Bought Red Bean Paste
There’s an even a easier and faster way to make zenzai. Use store-bought red bean paste! To a small saucepan, add the anko and water. Bring it to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding water or reducing the soup. If you end up making a big batch of the homemade version of red bean paste, you can freeze portions to enjoy anytime in Zenzai or various Japanese sweets like Dorayaki, Daifuku, or Dango.
Enjoy Zenzai on January 11 (Kagami Biraki)
Every year, January 11th is Kagami Biraki (鏡開き) in Japan. It is a traditional Japanese ceremony to break the ornamental mochi into pieces and eat it for good health and fortune for the New Year. You can read more about this cultural ceremony and tradition in my Kagami Biraki post. There is one thing that you must remember for this ceremony: Never “cut” the mochi. It’s a sign of bad luck because it’s reminiscent of seppuku (切腹), or ritual disembowelment during the old times. Therefore, you must break the mochi with a wooden hammer or your hands. We then toast the broken pieces until nicely brown and add them to zenzai to enjoy! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Mar 12, 2012. It’s been updated with new images and additional pressure cooking method in the recipe in January 2020.
