Red Rice and Beans

Since red is the color of felicity in Japan, this dish is found on the menus of most formal, happy occasions. Here small red beans are pre-cooked to release a deep red liquid which is then used to tint the steaming rice and beans. It is not difficult to make, although it requires a great deal of time, mostly unattended. Unlike other recipes this particular dish uses glutinous rice, which is steamed and requires none of the tricky temperature changes of regular rice. Serve it with