1 have already made this dish!
The preparation:
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First, soak the azuki beans: Ideally overnight for at least 8-12 hours.
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Pour away the soaking water and rinse the azuki beans.
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Take a large pot (the azuki beans will double in size during the cooking process) and add the beans and plenty of water.
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Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the temperature.
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Simmer the beans over low heat for 1-1.5 hours.
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Attention: If the beans are no longer covered with water, add more water until they are just covered again.
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The beans are done when they are very soft and can be easily crushed.
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Now turn the heat back to high and add the sugar and pinch of salt to the beans. Stir constantly.
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When the bean mixture thickens to the point where it is viscous when stirred and you can see the bottom of the pot for several seconds, it is done.
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Transfer the anko paste to a can or jar and let it cool - it will thicken a little more.
Table of contents:
A paste made from red beans that refines Japanese desserts sounds strange? Perhaps! But once you've tasted traditional Japanese sweets or even the sweet filled Anko bun, you'll quickly forget what Anko is made of! Sweet bean paste is not only made from red beans, but also from white beans (which is then called Shiroan). Similar is Kurian, a paste that is made from edible chestnuts.
Anko: Creamy or lumpy
There are two variations of the sweet bean paste Anko: Koshian and Tsubuan. The main difference is in the consistency. Koshian is a very fine, smooth paste where the bean skins have been thoroughly removed. It is often used for Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). Tsubuan is much lumpier and coarser. For this paste, red beans are cooked and sugared, but otherwise not further processed. Tsubuan is very easy to cook at home. Tip: The red beans become soft particularly easily if you use a pressure cooker. Of course, you can also buy Anko ready-made.
How is Anko eaten?
The paste is usually used as a filling for various dishes, but not eaten alone. It is used as a filling for Mochis (small rice cakes) and Dorayaki (delicious Japanese pancake sandwiches), for example, but is also processed into ice cream and Zenzai (red bean soup). Mochis with an Anko filling have their own name: Daifuku.
What ingredients are used for Anko?
The basis for the red bean paste is Azuki beans, which are slightly sweet in nature. You also need sugar. You can buy dried Azuki beans in many larger supermarkets and Asian stores.
Is Anko healthy?
The Japanese bean paste is definitely healthier than German chocolate cake or cream. It has hardly any fat and the beans provide valuable fiber. However, it obviously depends on how and how much Anko you eat!
Tips for preparing Anko
- You can freeze the bean paste well if you don't want to use it all at once
- It keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week
- If you prefer Koshian to Tsubuan, you can simply pass the finished paste through a blender or mixer.
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