How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (2024)

10 September 2015 | 8 comments
Posted in beans, Chinese, dessert, Featured Articles, How to, Japanese, snacks, Vegetarian

Red bean (azuki bean) paste is widely used in Chinese and Japanese confectioneries. The ready-made red bean paste sold in the stores usually contains preservatives and is laden with oil and sugar. Hence, it is definitely a healthier choice to make your own as you will be in full control over the ingredients you put in. You can adjust the amount of sugar and oil to your liking, select better quality red beans and use healthier oil for the paste.

I have been making red bean paste recently which I use for pao (steamed Chinese bun) filling and bread spread. So I thought of sharing the methods I use to make the red bean paste with you. It is easy to follow but be prepared to spend 2-3 hours of “hard labour”. Don’t worry, it is surely worth the effort.

Here are the steps:
a) Soak and freeze the beans
I apply the same freezing principleas what I did when making my quick congee. You can freeze the beans in advance as they can be kept in the freezer for weeks. Normally, dried red beans are sold in a standard 500g packaging. For beginners, I recommend that you divide it to 2 equal portions for freezing so that you can cook them in a smaller amount over a shorter time.

b) Cook the beans until soft
I had read from the internet that you can cook the beans with different type of appliances such as gas cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker or even bread maker. So far, I haven’t tried any except for gas cooker. What I did was to cook the beans for 15 minutes, switch off the heat and let the beans sit inside for another 20 minutes before repeating this process one more time. During the interval between cooking, the beans will absorb the water and expand. This will help the beans break down easily and soften when they are cooked for a second time. Comparing with continuous cooking process, this method effectively cut short the entire cooking time (indirectly saving on your gas consumption) and still manage toachieve the same end result.

c) Puree or mash the beans until smooth
You can use a food processor, blender or handheld blend to puree the beans as smooth as you can. For chunky texture, you can simply use wooden spoon or potato masher to mash the cooked beans. As for a more refined texture, you will have to use a large spoon or spatula to press the beans through a sieve or colander so as toseparate the skins. This extra step is quite tedious as you need to do it manually. Usually I will just opt for a food blender todo the job.

d) Stir-fry the beans until paste-consistency texture
In this process, sugar and oil are mixed together with the pureed beans. The sugar will add sweetness and darken the red colour of the paste. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking. For oil, it will make the paste smoother and shinier but you will find that most Japanese recipes omit the oil. Lard is commonly used in the ready-made red bean paste. However, you can opt for healthy oil such as sunflower oil, peanut oil or any vegetable oil. It is also fine to use butter. The red bean mixture needs to be stir-fried until it reaches the texture and consistency of the type of dessert you intend to make. If you want it as bread spread, the texture will be as shown on the first photo above. But, if you want to use it as filing for pao (Chinese steamed bun) and bun, then the texture must be firmer (slightly drier). It means that you should be able to roll it into small tiny balls as shown on the photo below.

After the red bean paste has cooled down completely, divide it into small portions and store in freezer bags or air-tight container. You can store them for a week in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.

In my next post, I will share with you arecipe forwholemeal pau with red bean paste filing. Meanwhile, I will also includesome useful tips on how to make “perfect looking” soft paus. So, stay tuned!

Please refer to PAGE 2 BELOW for recipe and step by step tutorials.

If you like this article, please share:

8 Comments

  1. 12 September 2015 at 2:27 am

    I don’t like store bought bean paste at all..it’s unbelievably sweet and oily. Homemade is the BEST!

    Reply

    • How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (5)food-4tots says:

      25 September 2015 at 3:20 pm

      Angie: Yes, I can’t agree more. 🙂

      Reply

  2. How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (6)Winnie says:

    20 November 2015 at 10:55 am

    Hi,

    May I know where did you buy your pot from? It looks quite versatile. It can be used for frying, boiling and cooking soup.

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (7)food-4tots says:

      20 November 2015 at 10:11 pm

      Winnie: I bought it from a direct sales person. The brand is AMC. 🙂

      Reply

  3. How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (8)win mar says:

    4 February 2016 at 1:04 pm

    very simple and useful. thank you.

    Reply

    • How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (9)food-4tots says:

      16 February 2016 at 9:04 am

      Win Mar: Thank you and glad you like it! 🙂

      Reply

  4. How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (10)fiona says:

    12 December 2016 at 4:32 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Do I cook till same consistency as for pau if I’m intending to make red bean bread?

    Reply

    • How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (11)food-4tots says:

      19 December 2016 at 3:18 pm

      Fiona: Yes, same consistency for both pau and bread. 🙂

      Reply

Leave a comment

How To Make Red Bean Paste | Food-4Tots | Recipes for Toddlers (2024)

FAQs

What is red bean paste made of? ›

Sometimes known as An (餡), Anko (餡子, あんこ) is a Japanese sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans. It is the most common filling used in many Japanese sweets. In fact, you can find sweet bean paste in many other Asian pastries and desserts.

How do you thicken red bean paste? ›

Simmer over low heat to reduce the red bean mixture until the consistency of a thick smoothie (~5 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the paste to thicken up.

What is a substitute for red bean paste? ›

There are a few substitutes for red bean paste, white bean paste, and black sesame paste. Some common substitutes include: Red bean paste: You can use any type of bean paste, such as black bean paste or mung bean paste. You can also use mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

How long does home made red bean paste last? ›

How to store & how long do they keep? Keep the paste in an airtight container. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and about a month in the freezer. If possible divide the paste into the amount that you would use at a time or score them like the above photo.

Where is red bean paste made? ›

But "anko", a paste made from red beans called "azuki", is a staple in traditional Japanese confectionery, and has been enjoyed by Japanese people for centuries. The taste can be enjoyed alone, or as a complement to other Japanese flavors such as matcha (roasted green tea) or mochi (sticky rice cake).

What are the different types of red bean paste? ›

There are two types of anko: Tsubu-an, which is made by cooking adzuki beans so as not to crush the grains, and koshi-an, which is cooked adzuki paste with the outer skin removed. Besides "wagashi", it is also used as an ingredient of the popular Japanese bread "Anpan" (sweet bread with anko inside of it).

Can red bean paste go bad? ›

When does red bean paste expire? Unopened commercial red bean paste usually has a quite long shelf life and can be stored for up to 12 months at room temperature. Always check the best-by date on the package for more specific information. Once opened, it lasts about 7-10 days in the refrigerator.

How much cornstarch to thicken red beans? ›

But if you would like an even thicker sauce, just whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water (or chicken stock) to make a slurry. Then gradually stir a little bit of it into the red beans and rice while it is still boiling in the slow cooker until it you reach your desired level of thickness.

How do you thicken red beans without cornstarch? ›

If you want to make a dish of beans thicker; the most straightforward way; is; once the beans are cooked completely; take 1/3 of the cooked beans; puree them ; and add them back to the main pot. (You can adjust with stock or a tomato product if the mixture is too thick).

Can you use any red bean for red bean paste? ›

(Adzuki beans tend to have a very creamy texture.) Note that dark red kidney beans tend to be more firm than light red. All said and done, you can probably make adjustments and end up with a slightly different result. But as for me, I would get the adzuki beans.

Can you use canned red beans for red bean paste? ›

You can find adzuki beans (aka red beans, Hong Dou/红豆) in Chinese/Asian shops or whole food stores. If available, use canned ready-to-use adzuki beans to skip the cooking procedure. 2. To make the paste vegan friendly, you may replace butter with coconut oil.

What is red bean paste good for? ›

"Red bean paste, which is rich in carbohydrates and dietary fiber, is indispensable for adjusting the intestinal environment, which tends to be disrupted when one diets," Nagai says. Bodybuilders in the United States regularly eat anko these days, he says.

Should I refrigerate red bean paste? ›

It should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain its quality. Optimal storage involves reducing the amount of air in the container to minimize exposure and potential spoilage. Under these conditions, red bean paste can last for a few weeks.

How do you eat red bean paste? ›

You can use red bean paste in a variety of preparations:
  1. As a seasoning. Red bean paste is often the primary sweet element in otherwise mild presentations. ...
  2. As an ice cream topping. ...
  3. As a pastry filling. ...
  4. In rice dumplings and buns.
Jun 7, 2021

What if red bean paste is too watery? ›

If there's too much water, pour some away. Conversely, if there is not enough water, add some. Cook the red bean paste over low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens considerably. Add sugar and mix into paste.

Is red bean paste healthy for you? ›

Red bean paste often has a high sugar content, which is not overly healthy. However, the beans themselves are a fantastic source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are good for the body. If eaten in moderation, dishes and sweets containing red bean paste can be a part of a healthy balanced diet.

Is red bean paste made from kidney beans? ›

What Is Red Bean Paste? Red bean paste (anko) is a paste made from cooked and sweetened adzuki beans. Adzuki beans—also known as azuki beans or red mung beans—are a small Chinese bean with the same deep-maroon hue as kidney beans. The popular sweet paste is the star ingredient in many Chinese and Japanese sweets.

Is Korean red bean paste healthy? ›

Adzuki beans are rich in nutrients, such as fiber, protein and manganese. They are linked to several health benefits, including weight loss, improved digestion and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. You can make them into a red bean paste, sprout them or simply boil them.

Is miso the same as red bean paste? ›

Korean soybean paste, deon-jang is made with all soybeans. Japanese soybean paste is made with soybean mixed with rice, barley or wheat. Some variation is also made with pure soybean. In general Japanese miso has lighter flavor but some aka miso, red soybean paste is almost as heavy as Korean doen-jang.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Edwin Metz

Last Updated:

Views: 5884

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edwin Metz

Birthday: 1997-04-16

Address: 51593 Leanne Light, Kuphalmouth, DE 50012-5183

Phone: +639107620957

Job: Corporate Banking Technician

Hobby: Reading, scrapbook, role-playing games, Fishing, Fishing, Scuba diving, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.