This vegan “panna cotta” was inspired by a recent dinner at Kajitsu, a Japanese restaurant in NYC that specializes in shojin ryori. It’s a style of cooking developed by buddhist monks that uses no meat or fish.
As you step down into the restaurant, the pace of life seems to slow down before your very eyes. The pleasantly lit interior reveals a long solid timber bar along with a dining room furnished and trimmed in traditional Japanese woods. Everything from the understated decor to the cedar-like smell in the air will convince you that you’re in an old home in Kyoto, rather than a basement level East Village eatery.
Each course is a perfect balance of subtle flavours and colors allowing you to taste the quality of each ingredient without being too austere or simplistic. Watching Chef Nishihara behind the bar is like watching a sculptor working with clay. The attention to detail even carries over to the carefully selected dishes that the food is presented on, some of which are over two hundred years old!
For dessert we had a blueberry kinton filled with red beans. Kinton is a dense dumpling, traditionally made from sweetened chestnuts, sweet potato or beans. In this case, Chef Nishihara added blueberries, an unexpected combination that worked remarkably well. The whole meal was great, but I found myself contemplating the juxtaposition between the tart floral blueberries and the creamy bean paste during the entire walk home. This contemplation soon turned into a craving which is how I came up with this red bean “panna cotta” with blueberry sauce.
I put panna cotta in quotes because it has no cream in it and the texture is quite different due to the red bean and use of kanten instead of gelatin. If you’re looking for a satiny smooth traditional panna cotta, you may prefer this one, or this one (although neither are vegetarian)
Kanten_ (agar agar) is a gelling agent common in Asian cooking that’s derived from seaweed, which makes it vegan friendly. The resulting gel isn’t the same as gelatin though, with a firmer more delicate gel that’s less resilient under pressure. If you can live with the slightly different texture, it’s a great substitute for gelatin in desserts ranging from marshmallows to fruit jellos.
Ingredients
for pudding
- 1 can coconut milk (400 gram)
- 1/2 cup sweetened red bean paste (a.k.a. anko, adzuki bean paste)
- 3 grams kona kanten (agar agar powder)
for blueberry sauce
- 280 grams blueberries frozen wild packages
- agave nectar (to taste)
Steps
- Put the coconut milk, red bean puree and kona kanten in a blender, and blitz until completely smooth. Pour this mixture through a double mesh seive into a small saucepan, discarding any remaining solids.
- Heat the saucepan over medium low heat, stirring constantly until it starts steaming (but not until it boils). Pour the mixture into individual ramekins and allow them to come to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator to set.
- To make the blueberry sauce, just add the thawed blueberries to the blender and blend until smooth. Taste, then add agave nectar as needed to sweeten.
- To serve, just unmold the ramekins and pour the blueberry sauce on top.
These look so elegant. The pairing of red bean paste and blueberries also very interesting.
Do you think if one sticks with this ratio of 13.5 ounces of coconut milk + some sort of sweet starchy paste + and 3 grams of agar agar powder, one can substitute the red bean paste with similar starchy paste (e.g. lotus seed paste) in order to create other different flavors? Does anko contain anything else other than red beans and sugar? Any thickener or filler that might affect the gelling if left out?
Great question. While I haven’t tried it with other pastes, the kanten is quite good at solidifying things so you shouldn’t have any problem. Also depending on the amount of sugar in whatever you use, you may need to add a little more sugar. Good luck:-)
Marc your stuff is always amazing and cutting edge! I had red bean ice cream once that was to die for, but have never been able to recapture the experience or taste!
Looks so pretty! Wonderful combination of flavours.
Lovely, Marc–I get so excited when I come over here and see a new photo. Then, I know I get to read something tasty written in a witty, thoughtful manner. I love that!
You always come up with something funky, unique and appetizing. Looks like this would be a very good dessert after any meal.
Wow, original and it sounds quite like a delicate association of flavours, bravo!
That sounds like such a neat restaurant.
I’m a on a bit of a matcha kick recently. I’d be curious to try this using matcha as the base and red beans as the topping.
I love azuki beans. Maybe you can experiment with matcha next time. 🙂
These look so elegant. The pairing of red bean paste and blueberries also very interesting.
Do you think if one sticks with this ratio of 13.5 ounces of coconut milk + some sort of sweet starchy paste + and 3 grams of agar agar powder, one can substitute the red bean paste with similar starchy paste (e.g. lotus seed paste) in order to create other different flavors? Does anko contain anything else other than red beans and sugar? Any thickener or filler that might affect the gelling if left out?
Great question. While I haven’t tried it with other pastes, the kanten is quite good at solidifying things so you shouldn’t have any problem. Also depending on the amount of sugar in whatever you use, you may need to add a little more sugar. Good luck:-)
Marc your stuff is always amazing and cutting edge! I had red bean ice cream once that was to die for, but have never been able to recapture the experience or taste!
Looks so pretty! Wonderful combination of flavours.
wow! that is so creative and GORGEOUS!
Lovely, Marc–I get so excited when I come over here and see a new photo. Then, I know I get to read something tasty written in a witty, thoughtful manner. I love that!
this is really beautiful, marc. and it’s vegan…
you introduced me to kanten.
You always come up with something funky, unique and appetizing. Looks like this would be a very good dessert after any meal.
Wow, original and it sounds quite like a delicate association of flavours, bravo!
looks and sounds delicious. Now I just need you to give me a tip as to where to get the ingredients!
That sounds like such a neat restaurant.
I’m a on a bit of a matcha kick recently. I’d be curious to try this using matcha as the base and red beans as the topping.
I love azuki beans. Maybe you can experiment with matcha next time. 🙂
wow! that is so creative and GORGEOUS!
Hah, I was having a hard time describing the quality of an agar gel compared to gelatin. I would say something like “it fractures easily.” Nice that your scale was able to measure out 3g!
I’d love to check out Kajitsu when I’m in town– the description is fascinating, especially since it’s in crazy NY. The panna cotta looks gorgeous– I love the unique combination of flavors 🙂
this is really beautiful, marc. and it’s vegan…
you introduced me to kanten.
looks and sounds delicious. Now I just need you to give me a tip as to where to get the ingredients!
Hah, I was having a hard time describing the quality of an agar gel compared to gelatin. I would say something like “it fractures easily.” Nice that your scale was able to measure out 3g!
I’d love to check out Kajitsu when I’m in town– the description is fascinating, especially since it’s in crazy NY. The panna cotta looks gorgeous– I love the unique combination of flavors 🙂
Looks Awesome! So great to find a completely new recipe!
I would love to have something poetic or at least inquisitive to write, but with my immeasurable love for red beans, it’s hard to type while licking my iPhone screen.
::goes into my recipe day pile::
Looks Awesome! So great to find a completely new recipe!
Believe it or not, I have just bought the red bean paste from Japan Centre today in Ldn, maybe I should try to make this lovely creative dessert.
Actually the chinese have also made the red bean cake like this but they are served in cubes. So chinese have made panna cotta all along too? : )
I would love to have something poetic or at least inquisitive to write, but with my immeasurable love for red beans, it’s hard to type while licking my iPhone screen.
::goes into my recipe day pile::
Believe it or not, I have just bought the red bean paste from Japan Centre today in Ldn, maybe I should try to make this lovely creative dessert.
Actually the chinese have also made the red bean cake like this but they are served in cubes. So chinese have made panna cotta all along too? : )
These looks truly amazing, I especially love the combo of red bean and blueberry.
By the way, thank you for your kind words on my blog, I really appreciate the support.
These looks truly amazing, I especially love the combo of red bean and blueberry.
By the way, thank you for your kind words on my blog, I really appreciate the support.
Hey Marc, what a lovely idea to use the bean paste!
I love using agar agar too!! But you have to experiment a lot with it!
I also have made & panna cotta with silken tofu before & a fruit puree! Love your one!! MMMMM….
Hey Marc, what a lovely idea to use the bean paste!
I love using agar agar too!! But you have to experiment a lot with it!
I also have made & panna cotta with silken tofu before & a fruit puree! Love your one!! MMMMM….
This looks really good. I’ve never made a panna cotta – or any other pudding – with anything but eggs as a binder. I’m not a fan of gelatin, but I like bean paste snacks like red bean mochi, so I imagine the somewhat softer texture of agar agar would work out well with certain recipes. I’ll have to experiment! Thanks for the idea.
Dropping by to report — Made two versions: one with canned crème de marrons (Clément Faugier) as an experiment and one with red bean paste as instructed. Both were delicious. Thanks for making me look good at the dinner party. 🙂
This looks really good. I’ve never made a panna cotta – or any other pudding – with anything but eggs as a binder. I’m not a fan of gelatin, but I like bean paste snacks like red bean mochi, so I imagine the somewhat softer texture of agar agar would work out well with certain recipes. I’ll have to experiment! Thanks for the idea.
Hello. Wow, Japanese- inspired desserts are just one click away- just what I am working at these days. Why haven’t I thought of azuki- coconut combination before? 🙂 Can I make a special request, though? Can a great cook like you please feature awayuki kan some time? Thanks 🙂 and thanks for dropping by my page also.
P.S. Does shojin ryori also prohibit other animal products like egg and milk?
Hello. Wow, Japanese- inspired desserts are just one click away- just what I am working at these days. Why haven’t I thought of azuki- coconut combination before? 🙂 Can I make a special request, though? Can a great cook like you please feature awayuki kan some time? Thanks 🙂 and thanks for dropping by my page also.
P.S. Does shojin ryori also prohibit other animal products like egg and milk?
Another blogger suggested Clément Faugier crème de marron as a base, and guess what I have two boxes of those on my bedroom table (you never know when the craving is going to kick in). One of them is yours if you want to do something creative with sweet chestnut purée 🙂
Hi Marc – It was so nice meeting you the other night at the foodbuzz event. Your site has been a real treat to read through, and I’ve already set aside your salmon miso soup recipe to make (and impress!) my Japanese mother-in-law.
Great question. Buddhist monks are not allowed to eat eggs, but I’m not sure about milk.
Another blogger suggested Clément Faugier crème de marron as a base, and guess what I have two boxes of those on my bedroom table (you never know when the craving is going to kick in). One of them is yours if you want to do something creative with sweet chestnut purée 🙂
Hi Marc – It was so nice meeting you the other night at the foodbuzz event. Your site has been a real treat to read through, and I’ve already set aside your salmon miso soup recipe to make (and impress!) my Japanese mother-in-law.
really beautiful looking dessert! I love looking at your photos too because you capture food so well 🙂
really beautiful looking dessert! I love looking at your photos too because you capture food so well 🙂