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Red Bean Paste

March 4, 2018 82 Comments

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Learn how to make homemade sweet red bean paste with two methods. 

Sweet red bean is one of the most important ingredients for Chinese dessert. Sometimes, they are wrapped up to make rice dumplings or steamed buns. Besides, it can also be used to make as red bean dessert directly. Besides, red bean can also be used to make TangShui–Red bean Soup.

smooth red bean paste|chinasichuanfood.com

There are two types of red bean paste- smashed version and smooth version. I will introduce the two versions in this post together.

Easily smashed red bean paste is more frequently used in red bean buns, usually with some broken beans and have a harder texture.  Red beans are cooked until really soft with sugar and then smashed to form a thick texture.

Smooth red bean paste without skins are quite similar to store-bought version. It is extremely smooth and usually used in desserts.

Cook’s Note

The final water content of your red bean paste is very much depending on how the paste will be used. If it is made for steamed buns or sticky rice cakes, more water makes the paste smoother and softer. However if you plan to make mooncakes or mung bean cakes, try to heat off extra water and make your paste drier, otherwise the water contained in red bean paste can make the mooncakes over oily.

We will start with soak the red beans. I highly recommend you soak them overnight. (If you get a high pressure, you can make cook the beans directly).Sweet Red Bean Paste |ChinaSichuanFood

Add around 3 times of water and then cook the red beans until soft.

Smashed version: use a hard spatula to smash the beans and then simmer off extra water with sugar.

How to make red bean paste, easy version

How to make red bean paste (easy smashed version)

Smooth version:  For a smoother taste, I strain the cooked beans to separate the skins and the paste. However the skin is also healthier and you can just blend them together to a smooth consistency.Transfer the paste to a pan. Add sugar and butter in. Stir continually during the process until the sugar and butter is melt well and no exceeded water contained in the paste.

Sweet Red Bean Paste |ChinaSichuanFood

Sweet Red Bean Paste |ChinaSichuanFood

In the common Chinese way of making the sweet red bean paste, animal fat usually lard is added so the paste will have a more creamy texture. I use butter instead of lard since I do not have it in my kitchen and I guess the condition is almost the thing in your kitchen.Sweet Red Bean Paste |ChinaSichuanFood

Sweet Red Bean Paste |ChinaSichuanFood

Then you will get the smoothest red bean paste.

sweet red bean paste|chinasichuanfood.com

You can use your homemade red bean paste recipe in the following recipes.

  • Homemade red bean buns–soft and sweet buns perfect for breakfast known as Dou Sha Bao.
  • Snow Skin Mooncake–Non-bake Snow Skin Mooncake. For the filling of Snow Skin Moon Cake, the paste should be drier than other filling.
  • Sesame balls— I received lots of requests concerning about a Chinese dessert with sesame balls on shell and red bean paste inside.
  • Mini sweet red bean buns–a transformation of Chinese steamed buns
  • Mung bean cake stuffed with red bean paste – a popular Chinese dessert.
  • Zongzi–Chinese sticky rice dumpling with red bean paste.
 

 

5 from 3 votes
How to make red bean paste (easy smashed version)
Print
Red Bean Paste
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
Homemade sweet red bean paste with two ways (simplified smashed version and traditional smooth versioin)
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: red bean
Calories: 274 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
Smashed version
  • 1 cup Chinese red beans ,azuki bean ,around 200g
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tiny pinch of salt
Smooth version
  • 1 cup Chinese red beans ,azuki bean ,around 200g
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. butter or vegetable oil ,28 to 30g
  • a tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Wash the red beans and soak the dried red beans at least 8 hours or overnight. Longer soaking time can shorten the cooking time.
  2. Drain and add around 3 cups of water in a high pressure cooker along with the beans.
  3. Cook the beans for around 40 minutes or until quite soft.
Smashed version
  1. Smash the beans with a hard spatula. Add sugar and heat over slow fire to cook off extra water until form a paste texture. Stir from time to time during the process.
Smooth version
  1. Press the cooked mixture with a spatula through a fine strain to remove the skins to get the smoothest texture. Or if you prefer to keep the skin, transfer all the content to a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency.
  2. Transfer the paste to a pan. Add salt, sugar and butter. Use low fire to simmer the exceeded water out. Keep stirring during the process until the paste can sticky together.
  3. Wait for the paste to cool down.
Recipe Notes

Store the paste in air-tighter container up for 2 weeks.

Prepare time do not include the time for soaking the beans. 

Nutrition Facts
Red Bean Paste
Amount Per Serving (100 g)
Calories 274 Calories from Fat 4
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.4g1%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Sodium 396mg17%
Potassium 502mg14%
Carbohydrates 62.6g21%
Fiber 5.6g23%
Sugar 40.8g45%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 74IU1%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 11.4mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

How to make red bean paste (easy smashed version)

Filed Under: dessert and bakery, How to

« Fish Ball Soup
Homemade Red Bean Buns (Dou Sha Bao) »

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  1. Lulu says

    March 7, 2020 at 3:58 am

    Why not just pour off the excess water (or drain the cooked beans in a colander) instead of cooking off the water? You could retain some of the bean water to add back if the beans seem dry when mashing.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      March 7, 2020 at 8:22 am

      It creates a different texture. If the paste is for common desserts and filling, it is ok to keep the liquid content. But the water must be cooked off for mooncake filling.

      Reply
  2. Angie says

    July 12, 2020 at 12:45 am

    Do you store these in the fridge or pantry ? 🙂

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      July 12, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Air-tight container and in fridge.

      Reply
  3. Tracey Croteau says

    September 25, 2020 at 1:57 am

    Is the red bean paste ever made with the addition of anise or 5 spice powder? I had these when I lived in Peru, and they had a distinct anise flavor.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      September 25, 2020 at 8:25 am

      No. I never tried red bean paste with five spice powder. Taste good?

      Reply
      • Tracey Croteau says

        September 25, 2020 at 8:05 pm

        Yes, it was very tasty! I will try your recipe with and without the five spice powder to see how I like it!

        Reply
        • Elaine says

          September 25, 2020 at 8:45 pm

          Thanks Tracey! I will try the version with spices next time.

          Reply
  4. Jane Gillespie says

    January 1, 2021 at 5:55 am

    Will the required amount of water change if I don’t cook in a pressure cooker?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 5, 2021 at 8:38 am

      Use 6 cups of water. Jane!

      Reply
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Please not be limited by site name, as Elaine shares Chinese recipes beyond Sichuan dishes. Know me more from About Page

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