zenzai | ぜんざい
Kenji Morimoto•
Sep 10, 2025
There are many dishes I associate with my mom and zenzai is one of them; we didn’t grow up making this often but it’s always the first choice of Japanese desserts for mom if on offer.
Kiri mochi comes to the rescue again and is simply baked in the oven - the texture is incredible and soaks up all of the delicious red bean soup. Using prepared anko, or sweeter azuki beans, makes this satisfying dessert very easy - you can opt for making it from scratch but comfort cooking often is helped when it’s easy!
Super easy one! The soup is 200g prepared anko (sweet azuki beans) + 100ml water, but add more or less based on preference and bring to a low simmer. You can add a small pinch of salt but often the prepared sweet beans have this!
Kenji Morimoto is a London-based Japanese American food writer and content creator who specializes in fermentation. He draws from his cultural heritage to teach, write, and share culinary knowledge through various platforms, including his popular Instagram @kenjcooks and his upcoming book "Ferment."
Ingredients (3)
Ingredients (3)
Instructions
Make the sweet soup by simply adding the anko (200 g) and water (100 ml) to a pan and bring to a low simmer. You can also add a pinch of salt, but this is often included in the prepared anko.
Add more or less water based on your preferred consistency; We prefer it to be soupier.
Toast the halved kirimochi (2) in an oven for 3-5 min at 200°C until puffed and cooked through.
Decant the sweet soup into two bowls and add the baked kirimochi.
