Homemade Koshian (Smooth Sweet Red Bean Paste)
https://sudachirecipes.comLearn how to make Koshian, a smooth and sweet bean paste (anko) made from red adzuki beans. This popular filling is essential for many Japanese desserts, including mochi, dorayaki, and anpan. You can make it from scratch with just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 200 g dry adzuki beans
- water
- 175 g sugar I use 60% white sugar, 40% light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Pour 200 g dry adzuki beans into a bowl and fill it with water until the beans are fully covered. Swill the beans around and then drain the water. Repeat 2-3 times to wash.
- Transfer the beans to a pot and fill with fresh water until they are submerged. The water should cover the beans by 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water and discard.
- Rinse out the pot and pour the beans back in. Fill the pot with fresh water once more, making sure the beans are fully submerged. Again, the water should be 1-2 inches higher than the beans.
- Bring to a boil over a medium heat once more and scoop out any foam that forms on the surface of the water.
- Once it's boiling, lower the heat slightly and place a drop lid on top. Gently boil until the beans are fully softened (usually about 40 mins to 1 hour). Check the beans occasionally, stir them and top up the water as necessary so that they're always submerged.
- After 40 minutes, take a few of the larger beans, run them under cold water to cool them down, and smudge them between your thumb and forefinger. If they're soft enough to spread like a paste, the beans are fully cooked. If it's a little hard or grainy, continue to cook. Check every 5-10 minutes until they're soft to the core.
- Once soft, turn off the heat. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl and pour the beans through.
- Crush the beans thoroughly, pushing them through the sieve as you go. I used a pestle to grind them. Pour water over them occasionally to make loosen the insides of the beans from the skins.
- Scrape the bottom of the sieve into the bowl to catch all of the bean paste, then fill the bowl with fresh water. Note: For an even smoother result, you can pour the mixture into a food processor and blitz before pouring it back into the bowl.
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the paste has sunk to the bottom. Carefully pour out the top water, being careful not to pour away any of the bean paste, and refill with fresh water. Repeat 3 times in total (this step improves the flavor of the bean paste).
- Pour the bean paste into a cheesecloth and squeeze out all of the water. Set aside for now.
- Add 175 g sugar to a saucepan along with 2-3 tbsp of water. Heat on medium-low and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
- Mix the red bean paste into the melted sugar and mix continuously over the heat until you can draw a line across the bottom of the pan. (Be careful not to overcook as it will firm up once cooled).
- Turn off the heat and mix in ¼ tsp salt.
- Transfer to a wide container and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to stop it from drying out. Leave to cool to room temperature, then eal the container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, divide into portions and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Use your homemade koshian red bean paste to make a variety of Japanese desserts!
Notes
Homemade koshian can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, divide it into portions and freeze for up to 1 month. It can be defrosted in the microwave or in the fridge overnight.