Smooth Red Bean Paste

Red bean (紅豆) is also called azuki bean. It is a very common ingredient in Asian. Most of the time, red bean is used in desserts, like red bean soup, dorayaki, red bean pudding, and red bean glutinous rice dumplings. If you are not familiar with red bean, you may think it is weird to have beans in desserts. However once you get over that idea and try some red bean desserts, you will change your mind! Red bean paste (豆沙) is a great introduction to red bean. It is sweet and creamy. It is usually used as filling for sweet dumplings or cakes. No one will notice it is made from beans if you don’t tell. 😉

There are two types of red bean paste, mashed and smooth. In a mashed version, the beans were mashed roughly. Whole beans and broken beans can be seen throughout the paste. A smooth one is creamy with a smooth texture. The traditional way is to finely mash the beans and pass through a sieve to remove the bean skins. For an easy shortcut, some people puree the beans until smooth. That is what I did. Compare to the mashed one, smooth red bean paste requires a little more work and time. I am a huge fan of the smooth paste, so I think it is worth the hassle. But it really comes down to personal choice.

To make a smooth red bean paste, you only need 4 ingredients. The steps are fairly simple. Bring the red beans and water to a boil. Cook low and slow for about an hour. Then blend the beans until smooth. Return them a pan with a little oil and sugar, and cook until thicken. The paste can be store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. Easy, right? And it tastes incredible too!

Next week, I will share a Chinese New Year dessert recipe that are made with red bean paste. Stay tuned!

Smooth Red Bean Paste

About 4 cups

Ingredients:

–  2 cups dried red beans (azuki beans)

–  1½ cup sugar

–  2 tablespoon vegetable oil

–  pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Rinse and wash the beans. Place them in a large bowl. Add water till 2-inch above the beans. Soak overnight or even longer.
2. Rinse the beans again. Transfer the beans to a large pot. Add 7 cups water. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce to medium-low heat. Cover with a lid. Cook for until the beans are cooked, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Turn the heat off.
3. Remove 1½ cup liquid from the pot and set aside. Drain the beans. Add 1/3 of the beans and 1/2 cup reserved liquid to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large bowl. Repeat with the rest of the beans and liquid.
4. In a wok or large pan over medium low heat, warm up 2 tablespoons oil. Return the bean puree to the wok. Add 1 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust with more sugar to your liking. Cook until the puree thicken to almost a paste and slightly darken, stirring often, about 30 – 45 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the paste cool. The paste will continue to thicken.
5. Use the paste once cooled. If not using immediately, transfer the paste to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for 1 month.

Tips:

1. Don’t confuse red bean with kidney beans. They are completely different.
2. Get red beans in Asian supermarkets or Amazon.
3. To test whether the bean is cooked, take 1 out. Squeeze with your fingers. If it can be mashed easily, the beans are ready.

(Adapted from Christine’s Recipes)