Oshiruko (Red Bean Soup)

1: Rinse red Adzuki beans and place them in a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2: Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and cook until beans are tender, around 6 hours, adding a total of 8 cups of water as needed.

3: Once beans are soft, use a potato masher to roughly mash half of the beans for texture.

4: Add sugar and salt to the pot, stir to combine, and keep warm on low heat.

5: In a bowl, combine Mochiko sweet rice flour, 3 tablespoons of water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Knead until a smooth dough forms.

6: Divide dough into twelve pieces and shape into balls, creating an indent in each with your thumb.

7: Boil water in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook the dango until they float, around 2-3 minutes.

8: Remove dango from water and place them in cold water until ready to serve.