Pat is the name for red azuki beans, which have been used in Korean cuisine for thousands of years. Of all the porridges, patjuk is an all-time favorite, and dongji-patjuk, which contains chewy rice cake balls, is especially beloved. The flavor of the porridge is nutty and sweet, especially when you add a little sugar, as many Koreans do, and the texture of the mashed beans is similar to Mexican refried beans, but looser. The starch released from the rice cake balls makes the porridge very smooth. Dongji-patjuk is even tastier the day after it is made. As the porridge cools, it thickens and the rice cake balls become chewier.
SERVES: 2 to 3
INGREDIENTS:
PORRIDGE:
- 1 cup dried azuki beans, picked over, washed, and drained
- 10 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Sugar for serving (optional)
RICE CAKE BALLS:
- 2¼ cups glutinous rice flour (chapssal-garu)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make the porridge: Combine the beans and water in a large heavy pot and cook over high heat for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the beans are very soft and mash easily, about 1½ hours longer.
- Set a coarse strainer over a large bowl. Pour the beans and water into the strainer and mash the beans with a spoon, pushing them against the strainer so their soft interiors fall into the bowl. Discard the bean skins left in the strainer and transfer the bean porridge to a medium pot.
- Make the rice cake balls: Combine 2 cups of the rice flour, the salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then knead by hand in the bowl until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Put the remaining ¼ cup rice flour in a large shallow bowl or spread it on a cutting board. Dust your fingers with some of the rice flour, pull off small pieces of the dough, roll into ½-inch balls, and place in the bowl or on the cutting board; recoat your hands with flour as necessary. Roll the balls in the rice flour so they won’t stick to each other. Transfer the balls to a large floured baking sheet. Use immediately or cover with a paper towel and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
- Bring the porridge to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice cake balls and the 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the rice cake balls float to the surface, 5 to 6 minutes; skim the foam from the surface with a spoon. Then cook for a few more minutes, until the rice cake balls are fully cooked, stirring occasionally so that the porridge on the bottom of the pot doesn’t scorch.
- Ladle the porridge into soup bowls and serve with additional sugar on the side, if desired
