Here in Asia, it is impossible not to see or have any dessert that has sweet red beans… My first memory of them is with this famous Chinese delicacy called hopia—a flaky bread filled with sweet red bean paste. As a kid, I wouldn’t really crave for hopia since anything grainy or mashed (like mashed potatoes, chico fruit) don’t seem appetizing for me.
But I don’t know what sort of sorcery Japan has with making delicious things because after living here for about 8 years now, I am able to eat sweet red beans more frequently.
Red beans are low in fat and are a good source of protein. Could red beans a day possibly keep the doctors away too? What could be the health benefits if we combine them with other healthy stuff like apples every single day? How many more pandemics can we survive simply by eating more plant-based food? (Nutrition experts recommend consuming at least 30 kinds of plant-based food weekly.)
Recently, I add my sweet red beans to my toasted bread in the morning so I cook a bunch and keep them in a glass jar over the weekends… I prefer to make my own since I’d like my sweet red beans whole (not mashed). And of course, as much as possible, in our household, we try to minimize packaged-food consumption since they may contain additives and use a crazy amount of plastics.
Ingredients:
red beans (azuki)- 200 g
sugar- 120 g
salt- to taste
purified water- 1 liter
Procedure:
- Boil the beans for 5 mins.
- Remove the heat and soak for 30 mins.
- Drain the water and replace it with 1 liter of purified water.
- Over very low heat, cook for at least an hour until soft while skimming off the foam and allowing the water to evaporate.
- Put the lid on and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add salt and sugar.
NOTES:
- Tap water can be used for step #1 as this liquid will be discarded anyway by the time you reach step #3. This is done to get rid of the bitter taste of beans.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the texture and consistency you wish for your final product. Again, I like mine whole (not mashed).
- Having a jar of ready-to-eat sweet red beans in your fridge means you can try different dessert combinations. As I have mentioned, it can be used as a spread for your toasted bread (butter, optional). You can also use it as a topping for your ice cream or as a filling for your waffles or pancakes. You can also have them diluted in hot water and paired with some rice cakes (or marshmallows). The possibilities are endless.
Special thanks to my Japanese mother-in-law for sharing this recipe with me.
Asian Santa
February 6, 2025
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