agar, peas, dumplings & fruit with syrup

  • Serves: 4
  • Calories: 150 kcal
  • Total Time: 1 d 4 h 35 m
    • Prep: 1 d 5 m
    • Cook: 4 h 30 m
  • Japanese: Mitsumame

ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 ounces strawberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 ounce aka-endomame
  • or red marrowfat peas
  • 2 cups water for boiling peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons agar powder
  • 1 cup water

shiratama (dumplings):

  • 1 1/3 ounces rice flour
  • 1/6 cup water
  • 4 cups water for boiling dumplings

kuromitsu (brown syrup):

  • 2 ounces kokuto (muscovado) or molasses
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

step 1:

Rinse the peas. Pour the 2 cups water into a pan. Add the peas and soak overnight.

step 2:

Add the salt and cover the pan. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and boil for about 10 minutes until the peas become soft. Drain the peas in a colander.

step 3:

Make the kuromitsu (brown syrup). Simmer the kokuto (muscovado) or molasses, granulated sugar and water in a sauce pan and sometimes stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

step 4:

Cut the strawberries into half. Peel the banana and slice.

step 5:

Put the 1 cup water and agar into a pan. Mix and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a container. Chill for 4 hours in the refrigerator.

step 6:

Remove from the refrigerator and cut into bite-size pieces.

step 7:

Make the shiratama (dumplings). Put the rice flour in a bowl and little by little mix in the 1/6 cup water. Form into 8 (1-in) dumplings.

step 8:

Pour the 4 cups of water into a pan. Bring to a boil and add the dumplings. When they float back up to the top of the pan, continue boiling them for 1 minute.

step 9:

Remove the dumplings from the pan and place into a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Remove from the water.

step 10:

Serve the agar, peas, dumplings, strawberries and banana in 4 small serving bowls. Pour the kuromitsu (brown syrup) over them.

comment:

Mitsumame is a popular dessert in the summer season. The strong sweetness of kuromitsu (brown syrup) suits the plain taste of agar. Mitsumame almost always includes canned mikan (mandarin orange) sections and sakuranbo (cherries), which may be difficult to find except in Japan or in overseas oriental food stores.