Omegi Tteok

Ingredients

• 150g dried adzuki beans
• 60g caster sugar for the beans
• 1/2 tsp fine salt for the beans
• 200g glutinous rice flour
• 100g millet flour
• 12g dried mugwort powder, or 60g blanched mugwort chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp fine salt for the dough
• 1 tbsp caster sugar for the dough
• about 120ml just-boiled water

Before you cook

• Rinse the adzuki beans and soak them in cold water overnight, then drain them.
• Combine the glutinous rice flour, millet flour, mugwort powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingers.
• Line a tray with baking paper for the finished cakes.

Steps

1. Put the soaked beans in a pan, cover them with water, bring it to the boil and drain them after 5 minutes to take away the bitterness.
2. Cover the beans with fresh water by 3cm and simmer them for 40 minutes, until they crush easily between your fingers.
3. Drain the beans and return them to the dry pan over low heat for 2 minutes to drive off the last of the moisture.
4. Crush the beans coarsely with a masher, leaving plenty of texture rather than making a smooth paste.
5. Stir the 60g of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt through the warm crushed beans and spread them out on a plate to cool.
6. Pour the just-boiled water into the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing with a spoon as you go.
7. Knead the hot dough for 5 minutes until it is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky, adding a splash more water if it cracks.
8. Divide the dough into 18 pieces of about 20g each and roll each one into a ball.
9. Flatten each ball slightly and press a dimple into the centre with your thumb, which is the shape that gives the cake its name.
10. Bring a wide pan of water to a rolling boil and drop in half the cakes.
11. Cook them for about 4 minutes, until they rise and float, then give them 1 minute more.
12. Lift the cakes into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then drain them well.
13. Cook the second batch the same way and drain them.
14. Roll each warm cake in the crushed red bean while it is still tacky, pressing so a thick coat sticks all over.
15. Set the finished cakes on the lined tray and eat them the same day, while they are still soft.