How To Make Red Bean Paste Recipes

HOMEMADE RED BEAN PASTE (HONG DOU SHA, 红豆沙)

Steps:

• Soak adzuki beans in water overnight. Drain then rinse well.
• Put the beans into a small pot. Pour in water. Bring it to a boil then leave to simmer for 60-90 mins until they become soft and easy to crush (check the water level halfway through. Top up if necessary to avoid burning).
• You may use a stove-top pressure cooker or an instant pot to speed up the process. Cook for 25 mins. Then leave to cool naturally.
• Drain the cooked beans then put into a blender or food processor. Add white sugar, dark brown sugar and butter. Blend on high speed into a fine paste. You may need to add a little water to make blending easier. However, only add as little as necessary.
• Transfer the puree into a pan. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring and flipping constantly to avoid burning. Once the paste becomes dark and holds in shape, transfer out to cool (See note 3 for the consistency).
• Remove the remaining water from the cooking pot. Add white sugar, dark brown sugar and butter to the beans. Use the flat bottom of a jar (or a potato masher if available) to crush the beans.
• Turn the heat back on. Heat up the paste to reduce its moisture until it reaches the desired consistency (see note 3). Stir constantly during this process to avoid burning.
• Red bean paste can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for two months. Defrost in the fridge before using.

HOW TO MAKE RED BEAN PASTE

Steps:

• Soak the beans. Transfer the beans to a 2-quart (1.9-L) large bowl and cover them with room temperature water. Cover the bowl with a clean towel to keep out bugs and dirt, and set the bowl aside on the counter. Leave the beans to soak for 8 to 12 hours. Soaking the beans will help to tenderize them and reduce the boiling time. You can skip the soaking if you're going to cook the beans in a slow cooker. The most common beans to use for this paste are long dull and adzuki.
• Parboil the beans. Drain the soaked beans in a colander to remove the water. Transfer the beans to a 2-quart (1.9-L) saucepan and add enough water to cover them with 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of water. Bring the beans to a boil over medium heat. When the beans boil, turn off the heat, put on the lid, and let the beans steam for 5 minutes. Parboiling will help to remove bitterness from the beans, resulting in a sweeter paste.
• Drain and rinse the beans. Remove the lid from the saucepan and transfer the beans to a colander to drain out the water. Rinse the beans under cool water to stop the cooking process, and remove any film from the beans. While the beans are in the colander, use soap and water to clean the saucepan you used to parboil them.
• Cook the beans until soft. Transfer the beans back to the clean saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans and put on the lid. Bring the beans to a boil again over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium. Continue boiling the beans for about an hour, until they're soft enough that you can mash them with your fingers. As the beans cook, add more water to the pot as necessary to keep them covered. To cook the beans in a pressure cooker, cook them on medium-high heat until the pressure cooker reaches pressure, and then reduce the heat to low and cook the beans for 20 minutes. To cook the beans in a slow cooker, cover them with 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water and cook them on low for 8 hours. Even if you cook the beans in a pressure or slow cooker, the remaining steps are the same.
• Drain the beans. Turn off the heat and remove the beans. Take off the lid and transfer the beans to a colander to drain out the excess water. Return the beans to the saucepan you cooked them in.
• Cook the beans with the sugar. Add the sugar to the saucepan with the beans and stir to combine the ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and dry. Remove the pan from the heat. When the mixture is ready, the beans will have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
• Finish the paste with salt. When the mixture is ready, sprinkle in a pinch of salt, to taste, and stir to incorporate it into the paste. You can also add 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla extract if you want a flavored bean paste, or 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter for an even richer paste.
• Cool the paste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature. The mixture will thicken even more as it cools. Once you move the mixture to the refrigerator to chill, it will further thicken into a proper paste. If you want to make a smooth bean paste instead, skip the cooling step and process the beans.

HOW TO MAKE RED BEAN PASTE

Steps:

• Combine red beans and 3 cups of water in pressure cooker. Lock the lid and heat over medium high heat until rated pressure has been reached. Turn to lowest heat and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the pressure release naturally.
• Remove the lid and stir the beans several times. Add rock sugar and turn back to medium high heat. Stir the beans constantly with a spatula and boil until the mixture has thickened. When you draw a line in the mixture with a spatula and can see the bottom of the pot for 1 or 2 seconds, the beans are finished. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. The red bean "soup" is, at this point, still a thick liquid and not quite as thick as a paste. It will thicken quickly after cooking down, and transform into a paste after it has been chilled.
• The paste will last about a week in an airtight container in the fridge, or about a month in the freezer.
• Rinse azuki beans and pre-soak them in room temperature water overnight.
• Discard the soaking water. Combine beans and 4 cups water in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil, then turn to lowest heat. Simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, until beans are soft and can be easily mashed with a spatula. Throughout the simmering, check the water level and make sure the water still covers the beans, so they won't be burnt on the bottom. Add water in small amounts, if necessary. Stir beans gently (without mashing them), occasionally during simmering.
• Follow steps 2 and 3 above to complete the paste.

ANKO (SWEET RED BEAN PASTE)

Steps:

• Place beans in a saucepan and cover with 2 cups water; bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and discard water.
• Place drained beans in a clean saucepan and cover with 2 to 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer, adding more water as needed, until beans are soft and can be crushed between your fingers, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain beans and discard water.
• Stir beans and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and beans form a loose, shiny paste, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the paste to a container to cool. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

RED BEAN PASTE

Steps:

• Cover beans in cold water and soak uncovered, overnight.
• Drain, transfer back to the pot and cover in 5 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Drain and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor.
• Press through a metal sieve. Note: This is time consuming work. The pureed beans become a thick paste and it takes some time to press through the sieve, clean off the underside, continue pressing until most of the bean puree passes through and the skins are left behind.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pureed beans and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to cool.
• After the paste has cooled, scoop out 1/2" balls. Cover loosely with plastic wrap so they won't dry out.

SWEETENED RED BEAN PASTE

Steps:

• Wash the beans, cover the cold water, and soak overnight. Drain beans and discard water. Place beans in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, add 3 cups cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, or until very soft. Monitor the pan to make sure water doesn't dry up. Drain and discard the water.
• Place the beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Add brown sugar and process until just combined. In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bean paste and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is dry. Remove from heat. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use; it will keep for 1 week.