Anko (Red Bean Paste)

[Mohamed A.M.]

I only traveled to Japan once, and during my time there I fell in love with Anpan (buns filled with sweet Azuki red bean paste). After returning to the UAE, I looked up various recipes for Anko and I regularly make a jar of Anko (sweet red bean paste) for my family who also enjoy it.

We use the anko as filling for bread and my mom has been trying to get her grandkids to eat Anko instead of Nutella because it has a lot of healthy benefits as it is high in protein & fiber and also contains magnesium, potassium and folates.

If anyone is interested in the recipe or where to get cheap Azuki beans, please let me know.

[cameomo]

Can you please share the recipe, I'd like to make some steamed buns.

Also if you are looking for Asian ingredients there is a very good Korean supermarket above Safestway supermarket on Sheikh Zayed Road. It has a lot of the items used in Japanese food. The also have frozen buns there but I'd like to try making my own.

[Mohamed A.M.]

The recipe is quite simple. It works best if you have a pressure cooker (but you can also cook it without a pressure cooker but it takes a lot longer).

Ingredients
1 cup azuki beans
1.25 cup sugar *adjust the sweetness to your preference
1 teaspoon salt *adjust the amount of salt to your preference
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (VERY IMPORTANT)

Directions if using a pressure cooker
1. Soak the azuki beans in a covered pot filled with water overnight. This will soften the beans and make them easier to cook.
2. Put azuki beans in a deep pot and pour enough water to cover them (about 3 cups of water)
3. Because you are using a pressure cooker, and beans tend to foam when cooked, you have to add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. The oil acts to prevent the foaming action which can clog the pressure release part of the pot. (IMPORTANT STEP!) I also like to be extra safe, so I cover the beans with a metal sieve in order for the beans not to jump around the pot and clog anything.
4. Close the pressure cooker and put the pot on high heat.
5. Follow the instruction of your pressure cooker (on my pressure cooker, I let the pressure reach max until it is released 3 times, where I then lower the heat to very low).
6. Once the heat is on low, allow to pressure cook for 25 minutes.
7. Shut the heat off, wait for the pressure to be completely released so you can safely open the pot.
8. The beans should feel soft now. Add the sugar and stir.
9. Cook the beans with the pot open while stirring to make the water evaporate so the azuki mixture can thicken.
10. Your azuki beans are ready, store in a jar in the fridge to avoid spoilage.

Extra steps if you like your azuki to be super smooth
11. Mash the beans inside the pot.
12. Use a sieve to pass through the mashed mixture where the skin will remain in the sieve and the soft gooey paste will pass through.
13. Store in a jar in the fridge to avoid spoilage.


The next time I make the beans I will try to take some photos or perhaps a video and put it on youtube. Please be very safe when using a Pressure Cooker and follow the instructions that came with your pressure cooker!

[cameomo]

Just FYI..
The Asian supermarket has moved. It is now located on SZR in the new showrooms next to Al Safa interchange I think it's called 'A Shop' or 'A Mart'. Coming from AD it's just before the Al Safa interchange on your left, you'll need to take the interchange exit towards Jumierah then the exit to AD, you'll find the entrance to the showroom parking just before merging back to SZR.
If you miss it (or you're coming from Dubai), take the next exit (Umm Al Shief Rd.) and follow the service road back to the Showrooms, you'll then have to swing around the building to find the parking enterance as the service road is only connect to the parking exit.
Hope that was helpful...

[Mohamed A.M.]

I'm not very familiar with locations in Dubai.

Can you post any GPS coordinates from google earth (with a screen cap)?