Anko (red bean paste)
Easy and lower in sugar!
Ingredients
- 900g azuki beans
- 450g sugar
- 1tsp salt
- Water
Directions
1. Rinse azuki beans in water and drain. Place beans into a large pot and add water so that it covers the beans by a couple of inches. Heat on high until boils, and then remove from heat and drain.
2. Put drained beans back into the pot with new water (again, a couple of inches above the beans) and bring to boil on medium heat. Once boiling, turn down to low to low medium heat and allow to simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half. You will need to keep adding water, so make sure to keep checking water levels. Check beans at about an hour by seeing if it is mashable. Usually an hour is enough, but if not, keep boiling away.
3. Once beans are easily mashed, drain the beans and put back into the pot with sugar. Stir on low heat until all the sugar is dissolved and beans are easily left separated when you stir.
4. (Optional step) Place bean mixture into a blender if you’d like a smoother consistency. There are more traditional ways to get that smooth texture, but this way is much easier. It leaves it a little chunky but I kind of like it that way, best of both worlds!
5. Let cool in a baking sheet.
6. Once cool, you can either use or you can freeze for later use. I use an ice cream scoop to separate the anko and then freeze on the baking pan. Then you can place in a freezer bag and easily use it whenever you need!
Roxanne’s Baking Pan 