Sweetened Red Bean Paste Recipes

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.

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.

SWEETENED RED BEAN PASTE

Steps:

• Rinse the beans, put them in a bowl, and cover them with 1 inch of water. Discard any floaters. Let the beans soak for 6 to 9 hours.
• Drain the beans and put them in a small saucepan. Add water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to gently simmer for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the beans are very soft. Some will split open. Press on one, and it should crush easily with little pressure. Remove from the heat and drain in a mesh strainer; let drain for 5 minutes to remove excess moisture. Wash the saucepan.
• Combine the beans and the white and brown sugars in a food processor. Puree into a smooth chocolate-brown mixture, pausing to scrape down the sides if necessary.
• Combine the oil and pureed beans in the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, or until the beans have pulled away from the sides of the pan and thickened into a soft paste. The paste will darken as it cooks and dries out.
• Transfer the paste to a bowl and set aside at room temperature to cool completely. To prevent drying and promote even cooling, occasionally stir the paste as it sits and thickens. Use the paste after cooling. Refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.