What a bright sunny day!! It's a welcomed break from the constant monsoon rains we've been having lately. The air has been so thick with humidity, sometimes it's hard to breathe. Bleh~ I hope everyone is holding up? If not, here's a lil' something to cool yourself down:
Homemade vegan red bean ice lollies!
Pat (red bean) ice lollies are a favorite treat here in the summertime, especially amongst the older generation who often prefer them to the typical overly-sweet ice creams out there.
I also used to be a fan of these Korean B-B-Big red bean ice bars (image source), but then I became vegan and haven't had one since. So I'm not sure why it took me so long to finally realize that I could just make my own, especially because they're so easy to make! All I did was make 'danpatjuk' without the rice balls, and added some soymilk at the end. I won't write out a proper recipe because all the measurements are so flexible, but here's a basic idea of I did:
First though, here are 4 small, detachable popsicle molds that I bought at E-Mart the other week. I can't remember the exact price, but they were cheap (4,000 won?).
To make the lollies, I measured and washed about 1/2 cup of dried 'pat' beans (aka azuki beans) and boiled them in plenty of water until the beans were fully cooked, which took about 1 hour (I didn't bother soaking them overnight this time). Once they were fully-cooked, I added some sweetener (I used stevia), a tiny pinch of salt, and about 1/2 a tsp of cinnamon for extra flavor. Next, I blended the cooked beans up with my hand-held immersion blender. But just as with my danpatjuk, I reserved some whole beans before blending, and added them back in later- I like chunks of beans in my pat ice bars. Finally, I incorporated around 1/2 cup of soymilk to get a nice milky color and consistency. If you want creamier, richer and softer ice lollies, add more soymilk than water.
Once I got the 'soup' to my desired consistency, I took it off the stove and let it cool before spooning it into my molds and popping them in the freezer! It didn't all fit into the 4 molds, so I just ate the leftover 'soup' straight out of the pot with a spoon. :)
The hardest part of this whole process was (patiently) waiting while they froze. I had to get out of the house to keep myself from trying one before it was fully frozen.
Pat power all the way! Not to be confused with chocolate.
If you have kids, or are still a kid at heart yourself, ice lollies make a great healthy, fun, summertime treat. While many ice lollies are often lacking in the nutrient department, these red bean popsicles have fiber as well as protein from the beans and the soymilk! Plus, if you want to turn them into powerhouse post-work out snacks, blend in some protein powder along with the beans, and maybe even add some ground flax seeds! The possibilities are endless.
the money shot.
I think I surprised myself with how well these came out. ha. They were totally refreshing and I loved the sweetness of the beans, as well as the hint of cinnamon. I think next time, I will add more soymilk though to make it creamier, and maybe throw in some chopped walnuts, or maybe even some ddeok pieces? It would be like having patbingsu in a compact, hand-held ice lolly. ^^
I definitely plan on having a steady supply of these in my freezer for the rest of this summer. Stay cool, peeps!