Matcha Pudding

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Sift 1½ Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. If you have a chasen (bamboo tea whisk), you can whisk the powder in the sieve so there will be no green tea powder left inside. Set aside.
3. If you are using gelatin sheets, cut 2 gelatin sheets into thin ½-inch (1.3-cm) strips in a separate medium bowl. Please use a heat-resistant bowl as we will dissolve the gelatin using a double boiler (Step 2). If you are using gelatin powder, put 5 g gelatin powder in a medium bowl. Once the gelatin sheet/powder is in the bowl, pour 2 Tbsp hot water and mix.
4. In a small saucepan, bring roughly ½ cup water to a simmer and place the bowl of gelatin mixture over the saucepan. The steam will immediately warm up the glass bowl and start dissolving the gelatin. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Pour 1¼ cups whole milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a near boil. When you see small bubbles around the edge of the saucepan, turn off the heat.
6. Add ¼ cup sugar (4 Tbsp) to the milk and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.
7. Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture into the sifted green tea powder. Whisk with a chasen or small whisk until the mixture is silky smooth and you don’t see any lumps of dry green tea powder left—very important!
8. Pour the green tea mixture into the milk mixture and whisk it together. If you blended the powder well in the previous step, this step should be easy and the matcha mixture should combine smoothly with the milk.
9. Add the gelatin liquid to the green tea mixture and whisk well.
10. Put 3 Tbsp sweet red bean paste (anko) in a medium bowl and pour a small amount of the green tea mixture into the red bean paste. Combine well. The green tea mixture will loosen up the anko. Divide and add the red bean and green tea mixture to each serving cup.
11. Pour the green tea mixture on top. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Once the pudding has solidified, add whipped cream on top and sprinkle with matcha powder to decorate. Serve chilled.

To Store

1. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.