Anko (Red Bean Paste)

Sweet beany goodness.

A major facet of my love affair with adzuki beans is the red bean paste in steamed buns (and ice cream). I decided it was time to learn how to make it.

This particular batch of anko would be destined for steamed buns, and just in case there was any left over, I also armed myself with an adzuki brownie recipe.

Note that you could either blend it for a smooth consistency or leave it lightly mashed, which is what I did. I like the variation in texture.

Looking pretty beany before mashing.

The Recipe:

1 c adzuki beans

1 c sugar

1 tsp salt

Soak beans in water overnight
Place beans and their soaking water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.
Drain in a colander, then put the beans back in the pot and add 4 cups of new water.
Bring to a boil again, then simmer 1 hour.
Drain the liquid from the pot.
Add sugar and salt. Stir and mash the mixture over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: Tastes just like in the restaurants, except less sweet (on purpose).

Time to prepare: 20 minutes of actual work, plus 1 hour of simmering and 8 hours of soaking.

Husband quote: "It's beans."

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from Tea for Turmeric and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...

Curry Fried Rice

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my new jar of curry powder was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at Korea House and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog