How to Make Azuki (Red Bean) Paste (自家製紅豆沙餡料)

I hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day celebration.  We spent the weekend at my In-Law's place and we had a blast.  Maybe I'll share a few pictures with you in a future post.  For now, let's check out today's recipe.

Red bean paste and I go way back!  It’s a popular Chinese/Asian ingredient that you’ll find in many traditional desserts.  I think it’s safe to say that we have a love-hate relationship with it.  How?  I’m glad to tell you this love-hate relationship is less complicated than a love story involving a real person.  I simply love red bean paste in certain desserts, and hate it in some others.  Isn't it quite extreme?  Maybe after all, it’s not the problem of the red bean paste, but “other” ingredients in certain dessert that made me hated it?  I thought I would never know why....





So, my conclusion is that it’s not the red bean paste’s fault.  I guess I do love it after all.  It’s a wonderful addition in many desserts, such as these Coconut and Azuki Glutinous Rice Cake 椰汁紅豆糯米糕 that I always make duirng Chinese New Year; Black Sesame Macarons with Black Sesame Buttercream and Adzuki Beans; or for these Snow Skin Mooncake 冰皮月餅.  The red beans I used here are the Azuki beans (see picture above).  They are slightly bigger than the regular red beans you might find in American markets.  So, if you’re make this recipe, you might want to get the Azuki beans from the Asian markets or online here.  Otherwise, your cook time might be less if the size is smaller.




Another key ingredient in this recipe is the Chinese Cane Sugar (片糖), see picture above.  I know, somehow the English translation said “brown sugar” (in pieces?) on the package.  But as the ingredient said, they are really “cane sugar”.  So, just make sure this is the type you use.  Or else, you can substitute with turbinato (raw) sugar.  They taste pretty much the same.


This is how the cane sugar “pieces” look (see picture below)!  Don’t you just love all these translations?  I always have so much fun with them. 




Back to the recipe.  Here’s how I make these red bean paste. 

1) Place Azuki beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least an inch above the top of the beans. Cover with plastic wrap and let them soak overnight.

2) This is how they look after soaking for a night, all plumped up and ready to go.

3) Transfer the beans to a strainer and rinse under cold tap water. Discard soaking water.

4) Place bean in a large pot and add just enough water to cover the beans. Cook on medium high until water comes up to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Taste a bean and it should be tender. Then, add the cane sugar and salt and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered and stirs constantly with a wooden spoon until water is almost all absorbed by the beans.

6) This is how the bean paste should look like. Remove from heat, let cool and store in the fridge until ready to use. Or, you can wrap them individually in small portion and store in the freezer for future use.



Pretty simple right?  Of course it is.  There are many ways to use these red bean paste other than the recipes link I shared above.  I’ll share more recipes using this red bean paste in the near future. 



Of course, you can always buy ready made canned ones.  But I really adore the homemade version because I can adjust the sweetness in mine.  The canned ones are always a little too sweet for me.  With this less sweet homemade version, you can really taste the earthy flavor of the red bean.  This red bean paste is really starchy, slightly creamy, and with the perfect amount of sweetness, like all good beans paste should be.  Yes, I eat it by the spoonful too!  They are that good!  Please don’t judge.  You might do the same if you make these goodness. 

So, the mystery of my love-hated relationship with the red bean paste was solved ever since I made my own paste at home.  It was the quality if the paste that made me dislike it with certain desserts.  I'm so glad that we have mended our relationship.  After all, red bean paste is something that I don't want to miss in my life.








Red Bean Paste  (自家製紅豆沙餡料): (Printable Recipe)
1 Cup Azuki Bean (dry)
6 to 8 ounce cane sugar (片糖)**
water for soaking and cooking
a pinch of kosher salt

Place Azuki beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least an inch above the top of the beans. Cover with plastic wrap and let them soak overnight.

The next day, transfer the beans to a strainer and rinse under cold tap water. Discard soaking water. Place bean in a large pot and add just enough water to cover the beans. Cook on medium high until water comes up to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste a bean and it should be tender. Then, add the cane sugar and salt and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered and stirs constantly with a wooden spoon until water is almost all absorbed by the beans. Remove from heat, let cool and store in the fridge until ready to use. Or, you can wrap them individually in small portion and store in the freezer for future use.

**6 ounces of sugar yields the perfect amount of sweetness if you're using the red bean for dessert toppings such as this one.

Go ahead and use 8 ounces if you use the red bean paste as fillings such as these.