Description
Sweet red bean paste (Anko/Hong Dou Sha), a versatile East Asian filling made from azuki beans simmered with sugar into smooth or chunky texture.
Ingredients
- dried azuki (red) beans – about 200 g (7 oz, ~1 cup)
- water – enough to cover for cooking
- sugar – ¾ cup (150–200 g), adjust to taste
- salt – about ½ tsp
- optional: butter or oil (e.g. coconut, walnut) for richness or smoothness
Instructions
- Rinse the azuki beans and optionally parboil: bring to a boil, then discard water to remove bitterness (Japanese method).
- Add fresh water to cover the beans by 1–2 inches; simmer with lid for 60–90 minutes until beans mash easily.
- For chunky paste (tsubuan): drain beans, return to pot, add sugar in two batches with salt; stir over medium‑low until moisture reduces and you can draw a line in the paste—then remove and cool.
- For smooth paste (koshian): drain, purée beans (food processor or sieve), return to pot, add sugar and salt in two additions, cook down until thick enough.
- Optionally, stir in a bit of butter or oil toward the end for richness—common in Chinese versions.
- Cool the paste on a tray; it will thicken further as it cools.
- Store: refrigerate up to ~3 days or freeze up to ~2 months in portions.
Notes
- Soaking or parboiling helps reduce cooking time and bitterness.
- You can adjust sugar levels to preference; some recipes use a mix of white and brown sugar or less sugar overall.
- Adding oil or butter not only enhances texture but also helps prevent drying and stickiness.
- Choose texture based on use: chunky for buns or tangyuan, smooth for mochi, mooncakes, or delicate pastries.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 115 kcal
- Sugar: 6.3 g
- Sodium: 4.3 mg
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
