Friday 19 November 2010

Discover Korean Food #40: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Sikhye (Rice Punch)"

Sikhye is a punch made by fermenting steamed rice in malt water. Chilled sikhye has a unique sweet taste and is beloved by Koreans. Sikhye is usually served on national holidays because it is believed to help digestion and stimulate blood circulation.

[Ingredients & Quantity]
115 g (1 cup) malt powder, 2.4 kg (12 cups) water
360 g (2 cups) non-glutinous rice, 480 g (2⅓ cups) water
160 g (1 cup) sugar
10 g (1 tbsp) pine nuts

[Preparation]
1. Put the malt powder in warm water which is around 40 ℃, and let it sit for 30 min.
2. Fumble the soaked malt powder with hands, sieve through a strainer. Discard the solids after squeezing, sink the malt water. When the sediments settle down, pour the top clean water out gently for malt liquid. (1.8 kg)
3. Wash the non-glutinous rice, soak in water for 30 min. Then drain water through a strainer for 10 min.
4. Remove tops of the pine nuts and wipe the nuts with dry cotton cloths.

[Recipe]
1. Put the rice and water in the pot, heat it up for 4 min. on high heat. When it boils, continue to boil for 4 min. Lower the heat to medium, boil for 3 min. When the rice become sodden, lower the heat to low, steam it for 10 min. (880 g).
2. Put the steamed rice, malt water and sugar into the thermo-pot (60~65 ℃), keep in there for 3~4 hours.
3. When 7~8 of rice grains floated up, take out the all rice grains from the pot.
4. Rinse the rice grains in cold water until sweet taste is soaked out. Pour the fermented water into the pot, heat it up for 5 min. on high heat. When it boils, skim the foam out cleanly.
5. Cool down the rice punch, fill in a bowl, top with rice grains and pine nuts.

[Tips]
*If the rice grains taken out from the pot after lots of grains are floated, rice punch may be soured.
*When the rice punch volume is so much, boil it for 20 min. more.





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