We are making delicious anko, sweet bean paste. It goes great with bread so I will also introduce a simple sweet recipe, Ogura Butter Sandwich. It’s very delicious so be careful not to eat too much.
Please leave a 5 star rating if you like the recipe! 🙂
| Cook Time | 90 minutes |
| Time for letting cooked beans sit in the pot and cooling the anko on the tray is not included in cook time. |
| Servings |
batch (600g/1.3 lb)
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| Translator | Get Francis Mug |
|
Please leave a 5 star rating if you like the recipe! 🙂
|
Ingredients
Red Bean Paste
200 g Azuki Red Beans 180 g Sugar 700 ml Water A sprinkle of Salt
Other Ingredients
Hot Dog Bun Butter Roll Butter
* 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 ml, 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 ml
* The ingredients contain Amazon affiliate links.
Instructions
- First, let’s make the anko, sweet azuki bean paste. Place the azuki beans into a large amount of water.
- Turn on the burner and bring it to a boil on high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Then, using a strainer, discard the cooking water into a bowl.
- Put the beans back into the pot and add another large amount of water.
- Bring it to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Discard the cooking water again. This will help remove the bitter taste from the azuki.
- Now, add 700ml (2.96 cups) of water and turn on the burner.
- Use a drop-lid known as otoshibuta, which helps the beans cook evenly while reducing the broth. When it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low.
- Carefully remove the foam. Simmer until the beans completely soften.
- We will show you how to make a paper otoshibuta. Measure out the radius of the pot.
- Fold the parchment paper into a wedge and trim off the end and the tip.
- Unfold... and voila! Use a light plate as a weight for the paper otoshibuta.
- If the beans appears above the surface of the broth, add the extra water to cover.
- Simmering time depends on the size and harvest time of the beans and it varies from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Now, pinch a couple of beans and check if they can be easily crushed.
- If they are soft enough, cover with the otoshibuta, turn off the burner, and let the beans sit for 10 to 15 minutes. This will make sure that all the beans are completely cooked.
- Then, discard most of the broth into a bowl. The broth can be reused later in case the anko is too firm.
- Reheat the beans and add one third of the sugar.
- Mix with a spatula and reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes.
- Then, add another third of the sugar.
- Mix and reduce the liquid for another 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the rest of the sugar. Adding the sugar in 2 to 3 steps will help soften the azuki beans.
- Mix continuously to avoid burning and reduce the liquid on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt.
- Anko will become firmer when cooled. When it reaches the desired consistency as shown, turn off the burner.
- Place the anko onto a tray and let it sit to cool.
- And now, let’s make the ogura butter sand. Spoon the anko into the koppepan, a type of bread roll.
- Then, squeeze out the butter onto the anko.
- Make a cut in the butter roll and place the anko and the butter into it.
- Now, ogura butter sand is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Make sure that the azuki beans completely soften before adding the sugar.
In this recipe, we used a type of raw sugar called Sensoto but regular refined sugar is normally recommended for making anko.
When you mix the hot anko, it will easily splatter so make sure to wear food preparation gloves to avoid burning yourself.
