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Are you a big fan of Sweetened Red Beans (azuki beans)? You’re not alone! I adore the sweet red beans since I was a kid. And it’s really simple to make them in your house with only 2 ingredients!
I’ve been loving wheel pies (Taiwanese snacks) since I was a kid. And the reason is the filling inside: Sweetened Azuki Beans Paste.
Azuki Beans, also known as red beans, are one of my most familiar beans since I grew up eating them all the time. I use it to make Red Bean Soup and Sweet Red Bean Purple Rice Porridge all the time.
Azuki Beans also play a major role in Japanese desserts and snacks, like dorayaki, daifuku, and Taiyaki. They also appear in many Taiwanese snacks and desserts, like mooncakes and wheel pies.
As versatile as Sweetened Azuki Bean paste, it’s actually really easy to make. And you only need 2 ingredients!
紅豆餡的應用非常廣，除了台灣的傳統點心之一車餅餅/紅豆餅，像是哆啦A夢愛吃的銅鑼燒裡一定是它，另外它也是日式麻糬、月餅的常見餡料。
Ingredients You Need for Red Bean Paste
- (Dry) Azuki beans/Red beans: I think it’s pretty obvious that you need them to make the paste. I like to use azuki beans from Pingtung in Taiwan. (In case you don’t know, I’m a Taiwanese!)
- Sugar: The second ingredient is sugar. I usually use b-grade sugar (light brown in color) or organic cane sugar. You can try to use different sugar to find your favorite one.
Oh, you will need some water too. I didn’t list the 2 ingredients above because I think it’s pretty accessible for most people.
I think you might also be able to buy red bean paste in some stores, but the ones meant to sell usually contain some preservatives or super sweet in order to make its shelf-life longer.
A homemade version will give you more control over how sweet you want and the ingredients you use. Also, you can control the cooking time to customized the softness of your red bean paste.
How to Make Red Bean Paste
There are two ways to make red bean paste:
- Use a pressure cooker/instant pot
- Use electric pot
Both ways will work, so it’s really depending on what you have and how fast you want to cook it.
The preparation before cooking is the same:
First, soak the dry red beans/azuki beans in water for 8~12 hours. I usually soak them before I go to bed and cook it the next morning.
Then drain out the water and give them a rinse. This step is really important because, during soaking, the phytic acid in the beans comes out into the water. Draining the water and rinsing the beans will get rid of the phytic acid and other antinutrients.
And then it’s cooking time. You can use either way to cook your red bean:
Method 1. Use pressure cooker/instant pot
A pressure cooker/instant pot will be a better option if you’re short on time.
I used to use a traditional (Tatung) electric pot, which is famous and pretty common in Taiwan. But it really takes a long time to cook. So I bought a pressure cooker and I regretted not buying it earlier.
Add the soaked beans to the pot and pour water over them. Put the lid on and start to cook.
If you use a pressure cooker, cook them over medium-high heat to bring up the pressure. Once the pressure is up (the sound will be an indicator), turn down the heat to small the cook for 7~15 minutes. The time can be adjusted according to your liking. The longer the cook time, the mushier the beans.
If you use instant pot, use the “cook bean” option or simply follow the pressure cooker step.
Let the pressure release naturally after cooking. And then check the texture of the beans. It should be soft without much liquid left.
Use a spatula to gently stir the beans and fold in the sugar. Let the heat gradually dissolve the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
Method 2: Use (Tatung) electric pot
The second method is using an electric pot (the one I use is from Tatung, you can use similar ones from other brands.) The water-bean ratio is basically the same, but this method will take more time and attention.
Add the soaked beans and water to the inner pot. Add one rice cup (180 ml) of water to the outer pot. Put the lid on and start to cook.
Once it finishes cooking, don’t open the lid and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then cook it the second time by adding another rice cup of water to the outer pot. Let it sit for another 30 minutes after it finishes cooking the second time.
Check the texture of the beans. If they are still a little bit hard, cook them again. If the texture is perfect, add the sugar and stir them evenly.
You can mash the cooked red bean into a paste with a potato masher if you the paste to be super mush. It’s really a personal choice and preference. I like my red bean with some texture so I don’t usually mash them.
You can use these red bean paste however you like: wheel pies, mochi, panna cotta, or other Japanese desserts like Dorayaki, which I made the other day.
It’s really easy to make red bean paste once you get it. Hope you will give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Sweetened Azuki Beans / Red Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 240 ml dry red beans/adzuki beans, (1 cup)
- 480 ml water, (2 cup)
- 30 g sugar, I use organic cane sugar
Instructions
- Soak the dry red beans/azuki beans in water for 8~12 hours.
- Drain out the water and give them a rinse.
Method 1. Use pressure cooker/instant pot
- Add the soaked beans to the pot and pour water over them. Put the lid on and start to cook.
- If you use pressure cooker, cook them over medium high heat to bring up the pressure. Once the pressure is up (the sound will be an indicator), turn down the heat to small the cook for 7~15 minutes.* If you use instant pot, use the “cook bean” option or simpl follow the pressure cooker step.
- Let the pressure release naturally after cooking. And then check the texture of the beans. It should be soft without much liquid left.
- Use a spatula to gently stir the beans and fold in the sugar. Let the heat gradually dissolve the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
- *Cooking time: The time can be adjusted according to your liking. The longer the cook time, the mushier the beans.
Method 2: Use (Tatung) electric pot
- Add the soaked beans and water to the inner pot. Add one rice cup (180 ml) of water to the outter pot. Put the lid on and start to cook.
- Once it finishes cooking, don’t open the lid and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then cook it the second time by adding another rice cup of water to the outter pot. Let it sit for another 30 minutes after it finishes cooking the second time.
- Check the texture of the beans. If they are still a little bit hard, cook them again. If the texture is perfect, add the sugar and stir them evenly.
- You can mash the cooked red bean into paste with a potato masher if you the paste to be super mush. It’s really a personally choice and prefenrence.
Notes
- Storage: Store the red bean paste in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3~5 days.
