5 from 10 votes
Red Bean Paste
Red Bean Paste is made by pressure-cooking adzuki beans with baking soda and salt until tender, then mashing and mixing them into a sweet syrup boiled to a thick consistency. The resulting paste is smooth and sweet with a characteristic red bean flavor, commonly used as a filling in Asian desserts. The recipe focuses on removing excess moisture and concentrating sweetness.
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings:
8
Calories:
133 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
- 225 grams adzuki beans
- 4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 200 grams cane sugar ~1 US cup, evaporated
Instructions
- Put the Adzuki beans in a strainer and wash them well.
- Add Adzuki beans, water, baking soda, and salt to a pressure cooker and affix the lid.
- Set the pressure to high and bring the cooker up to pressure over high heat.
- Adjust the heat down to maintain a gentle stream of steam escaping from the valve and then set a timer for 20 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally for 20-30 minutes.
- When the pressure has dropped, open the lid and then dump the beans into a strainer set over a frying pan (a non-stick pan works best). Press on the red beans with a spatula to get as much liquid out of the beans as possible, but don't press the beans through the sieve.
- Add the sugar to the bean liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Skim any scum off that floats to the top and continue boiling the mixture until it is thick and syrupy and has reached a temperature of 230°F (110°C).
- Add the Adzuki beans to the syrup and stir well to combine. Continue cooking the mixture while constantly stirring until the red bean paste has thickened enough that you can run a spatula across the pan without the Anko immediately running back into the path.
- Let the Anko cool to room temperature and transfer it to a container and refrigerate it overnight.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
133kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
32g
(11%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
79mg
(3%)
Potassium
150mg
(3%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
25g
(50%)
Vitamin A
2IU
(0%)
Calcium
12mg
(1%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 133
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 133kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 79mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 150mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 25g | 50% |
| Vitamin A | 2IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 12mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.