Azuki Bean paste is not a whole meal in itself unless you really, really like the taste of this traditional food item. It’s actually a fundamental part of many Japanese sweet desserts and is prepared in two manners; one is Tsubu An, made with the bean skin and the other is the focus of today’s recipe, Koshi An, made without the skin of the bean. Removing the skin provides the finished paste with a less rich but smoother taste. In Europe or the United States you can find pre-boiled Azuki beans in Asian grocery stores and some health food shops.
Azuki Beans
Ingredients:
- 30 ounces of Azuki beans
- 4 fluid ounces (fl. oz.)/1/2 cup of water
- 8 ounces of suger
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Preparation Method:
- To start with, empty the tin(s) of beans into a strainer to get rid of the water.
- Now place the dried Azuki beans into a mixing bowl and add half the water (2 fl. oz.). Ideally using an electric mixer, mix the beans until there are no lumps remaining and you are left with a smooth paste.
- Place the resulting substance into a saucepan and add the remaining water. Using a low heat, bring the beans to the boil, stirring often to maintain the consistency.
- As the first few bubbles appear, place a saucepan lid on the top but check the mixture every so often so you can remove the pieces of bean skin and any other impurities.
- Now add the sugar and the salt, making sure to keep stirring the mixture until everything is mixed in . Eventually it will become thicker and sticky so remove it from the heat and allow it to cool off.
- One it has cooled down, it is now ready for use! Make sure you keep it in the fridge when not in use; alternatively it can be frozen for use in the future.
Azuki Bean paste
Now it can be added to a wide range of Japanese desserts such as pancakes, ice cream and fruit.