Chapter 42 Red Bean Sweet Porridge
Making lychee steamed buns is neither particularly difficult nor easy.
However, that's just what the promoters say; for Jiang Zhi, it's a small matter!
She first took some walnuts, crushed the shells with pliers, and ate two or three pieces herself. Then she put the rest into the mortar and pestle and crushed them together with the roasted sesame seeds.
She took some dried lychee powder from her sleeve and added it in, then carefully mixed the three together.
Indeed, these lychee steamed buns sound incredibly sophisticated, but they are actually quite simple to make.
There's no way around it, lychees are just expensive. Fresh ones are so rare that even Emperor Xuanzong would send them from afar to please his concubine. If Jiang Zhi could get her hands on some, she'd have to be the local tyrant.
However, for those who crave a touch of flavor, dry powder with a fruity aroma is the best choice.
Then, Jiang Zhi took some stored red yeast rice, drew half a ladle of water from the well outside, washed the red yeast rice carefully, soaked it in the water for an hour, then took the red yeast rice out and kept the remaining water.
In this way, the red sauce brushed on the outside of the steamed bun and the filling inside are both done.
She soaked some red beans in cold water, planning to make porridge tomorrow.
The rest...
I'll have to do all of that tomorrow morning!
Jiang Zhi stretched lazily, yawned, and then lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
A moment later, he drifted off to sleep and had a good night's rest.
*
When the first rooster crowed, the sky was still as dark as ink.
But Jiang Zhi, who had been sleeping soundly in bed, suddenly got up because she had something on her mind.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, splashed water on her face to wake herself up, and after washing up, she met Yan Mo in the kitchen. The two of them then got busy.
*
Jiang Zhi gave Yan Mo some instructions, telling her to bring up the soy milk and vegetable soup on time, and then left her alone.
Jiang Zhi has set herself a lot of tasks today, and she's already too busy to handle them all!
Taking advantage of her early morning, she first put the water she drew from the well on a large pot and started boiling it. She would then use the cooled water to activate the yeast hidden in the yeast starter, and also use the warm water to knead the dough.
In the meantime, Jiang Zhi washed another large iron pot, took out some red beans that had been soaked last night, and prepared to start cooking red bean porridge.
The name "red bean" sounds nice, but it's actually just a type of red bean.
Soaking red beans overnight allows them to absorb enough water, making them easier to split open and become mushy when cooked, thus preventing them from being undercooked and unpalatable.
After confirming the condition of the red beans, Jiang Zhi took them out of the water where they had been soaking. She placed them in the iron pot, added enough water, and then began to adjust the heat.
This is also the most important step in cooking red bean porridge. To make the beans bloom and become mushy, the heat must be high at first and then low.
Simply put, bring it to a boil over high heat first, then simmer over low heat.
*
Jiang Zhi was very familiar with this process. While skillfully controlling the heat, she could also mix the flour, yeast water, and the appropriate amount of warm water.
Before long, a plump, white dough ball slowly rolled out of her hand.
The dough was finished and just waiting to rise. The porridge that had been cooked was finally bubbling in the pot. Jiang Zhi used her fingertips to feel the heat on the pot. When she felt it was about right, she squatted down and adjusted the firewood underneath to make sure that it was no longer a large fire scorching the bottom of the pot, but rather a gentle licking at the bottom.
At this point, Jiangzhi Shop will start making steamed cakes.
*
That's right, Jiang Zhi is going to make three breakfast dishes this morning, and the portions will be generous.
However, she was very skilled and confident, not giving outsiders the impression that she was being dishonest.
The main reason lies in these three things: red bean porridge is something her family loves to make, it's healthy and delicious. Steamed cake and lychee buns are things she learned to make at breakfast shops in Guangdong.
The reason is simple: it's delicious!
This steamed cake is made with rice flour that Yan Mo ground last night. It's called rice flour, but it's actually more like rice flour, just a little thicker.
After a night, the rice flour was almost ready to use. Jiang Zhi poured warm water into it and stirred it slightly with the yeast water to form a paste, then prepared the other supplies.
When the rice paste started to slowly bubble, Jiang Zhi noticed it immediately, stopped what she was doing, and continued working.
Actually, at this point, Jiang Zhi's first breakfast item could already be prepared for cooking. Theoretically, as long as the rice paste is placed in the pot now and steamed, it will become a crystal-clear, snow-white rice cake.
However, to make it taste better, Jiang Zhi added some finely chopped red dates and walnuts, and then coated it with a small layer of crushed sugar powder.
Then it was placed in a pot and steamed over water.
Jiang Zhi estimated that the red bean porridge would be ready to be served around the time the red bean porridge was almost ready to be served.
Now that these two things are almost done, we can start making lychee steamed buns!
*
Before Zuo Tianyuan even opened his eyes, he had already inhaled something through his nose.
He took a couple of slurping breaths and immediately woke up.
Wow! What is this? It smells so good, like the aroma of warm noodles eaten by the fireplace on a snowy winter day.
He quickly got out of bed, dressed, and then ran outside, drawn by the fragrance, trying to find its source.
Where is that little girl from yesterday?
No, the little sister is still sleeping, and as the older brother, I shouldn't disturb her.
Where is Mother?
Zuo Tianyuan ran off excitedly, but returned just as timidly. He had just gone to the kitchen and almost got a scolding from his mother who was working there. Luckily, he ran fast, he thought with a little pride.
Where is Father?
Oh, he's not home. Never mind.
After searching the entire house, he finally found the source of the aroma: the kitchen!
He secretly opened the kitchen door a crack, peeked inside, and looked around.
It turns out it was that same woman from yesterday.
The older sister was wearing a light green slit dress, and her hair was styled in a cute braid that swayed as she moved. Xiao Tianyuan's attention lingered on the braid for a long time before he noticed what the older sister was doing.
My sister was filling the dough when she casually picked up a piece of white dough, twirled it with her fingertips, and then pressed it firmly into her palm with a "smack".
With her free hand, she casually scooped out a spoonful of something from a bowl beside her and poured it into the center of the dough. Then, with a few quick flicks of her fingers, before Zuo Tianran could even get a clear look, the spoonful of filling was perfectly sealed inside the dough.
Then, she used some unknown tools to brush the dough, and soon a layer of red juice floated on the surface of the dough.
Zuo Tianyuan was momentarily stunned by the smooth, assembly-line engineering process.
*
Jiang Zhi worked quickly, and in no time, the lychee-shaped steamed buns, coated with red yeast rice water, lined up one by one on the nail board, ready to be cooked.
However, Zuo Tianyuan, who was standing at the door, couldn't concentrate on one anxious matter for long. So, while Jiang Zhi was kneading steamed buns, Zuo Tianyuan quietly walked towards the large pot boiling over the fire.
Jiang Zhi had actually noticed the small eyes behind her a while ago, but she originally thought it was Xiao Mahua. This little girl was timid to begin with, and although she had a fight a few days ago and made up, she was even more affectionate and sweet afterward, Jiang Zhi would still subconsciously try to keep the little girl from being disturbed.
Therefore, when she thought it was a little girl behind her, Jiang Zhi didn't even bother to turn around.
But who knew it would be this little rascal!
And probably because the red bean porridge was already bubbling and emitting a tempting sweet aroma, the kid actually ran straight towards the big pot with a fire burning underneath!
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