Tsubuan / sweetened crumbly azuki bean paste

A typical sweetened azuki bean paste for a number of Japanese sweets.  Pre-made bean paste from store shelves is handy but has a clear sugar taste rather than bean's natural sweetness. Making your own bean paste takes some time, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Use a thick-walled pot for best results.

<Ingredients>

(Makes 650-700 g tsubuan)

250 g (approx. 300 cc) azuki beans
150 g (approx. 130 cc) sugar
20 g (1 tbsp) honey
1/4 tsp salt (optional; skip or use only a pinch if on low-sodium diet)


<Directions>
1.

In a pot, put azuki and 3-4 times as much water as beans, and bring to boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, cook for a few minutes, and drain. 

2.

Put the same amount of water again, and repeat cooking and draining two more times. (At least one more time; the astringent taste of beans disappears in this process).

3.

Put 750-800 cc water, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are soft and crumble easily.

Add water as necessary to keep beans immersed while simmering.

4.

Add half of sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining half of sugar and honey, and simmer until water is reduced to half, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, add salt, mix, and cool.

<Notes>

• Honey gives a complex sweetness and glossy look while cutting down on calories. In terms of sweetness, 1 tbsp honey is about the same as 3 tbsp sugar.
• This recipe is just about as sweet as I can handle. If you want something sweeter, you can use up to the same amount of sugar as beans (250 g in this recipe). If using sugar in combination with honey, consider the note above.
• Finished bean paste freezes well.

Recipes with tsubuan

• Nama yatsuhashi / cinnamon-flavored steamed rice cakes with sweet azuki beans
  
• Taiyaki / fish-shaped cakes with sweet azuki bean paste
• Sakuramochi (Chomeiji) / sweet azuki paste cake in cherry leaves (Tokyo style)

Try tsubuan in the following recipes

• Yuzu daifuku / soft rice cake with sweetened bean paste and candied yuzu citrus peel

(Last updated: February 7, 2017)