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Tsubushian (Japanese Sweetened Red Bean Paste)

[heart_this] · Jul 1, 2007 · 8 Comments

Tsubushian (Japanese Sweetened Red Bean Paste)

Sweet red bean paste is a common ingredient found in Japanese sweets. It is made by simmering azuki (red beans) in water along with a sweetener such as sugar or honey or maple syrup, etc. You should be able to find sweetened red bean paste in your local Asian grocery store. It can be a little difficult however as it has several different names. Common names include: an, anko and ogura. If that were not enough it can have different names based on the consistency of the red bean paste as follows:
Tsubuan – whole red beans simmered in water with a sweetener
Tsubushian – red beans simmered in water with a sweetener and then mashed
Koshian – red beans simmered in water with a sweetener and then mashed and then sieved for a nice smooth finish
If you cannot find it in stores it is easy enough to make your our. All you need is some azuki (sometimes called adzuki) beans, some water and a sweetener such as sugar. Regular grocery stores near me carry canned azuki beans which are easier to work with. If you can only find dried azuki beans then soak them over night and extend the simmering time until they are nice and tender.

Tsubushian (Japanese Sweetened Red Bean Paste)

Tsubushian (Japanese Sweetened Red Bean Paste)

Tsubushian (Japanese Sweetened Red Bean Paste)

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Servings: 10
ingredients
  • 1 14 oz can azuki beans
  • 1 cup sugar
directions
  1. Rinse the beans.
  2. Place the beans and sugar into a sauce pan and cover with an inch of water.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. (The water should just cover the beans by this point.) Note: At this point you have Tsubuan.
  4. (optional) Mash the beans with a potato masher or a fork and add water to bring the paste to the consistency that you want. Note: I like to just dump them into the food processor and give them a whirl until they are nice and smooth. Note: At this point you have Tsubushian.
  5. (optional) Strain the paste through a sieve to remove the bean husks and make the paste smoother. You may need to add water to the beans to help them through the sieve. If the beans are too liquidy after, simmer them to remove the excess liquid. Note: At this point you have Koshian.
Use in:
Ichigo (Strawberry) Daifuku
Dorayaki
Azuki (Red Bean) Ice Cream

Food, Gluten-free, Japanese, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. john says

    April 21, 2014 at 2:49 am

    I found some sweetened red beans (mashed) at my local Daiso market … they're canned. Do I need to heat them, or can they be eaten straight from the can, or what?

    Reply
  2. kevin says

    April 21, 2014 at 7:23 am

    john: You can eat them right out of the can.

    Reply
  3. Julia says

    June 23, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Kevin,
    Have you ever tried sweetening the azuki bean with honey or maple syrup? If so, is the taste still good? I do love azuki bean desserts but am trying not to eat much refined sugar right now.
    Thanks,
    Julia

    Reply
  4. kevin says

    June 25, 2014 at 10:12 am

    Julia: I have not tried it but it sure sounds like it would be good! Great idea!

    Reply
  5. susan dalby says

    September 16, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    recipes for using the canned red bean paste????

    thanks,

    Susan

    Reply
    • kevin says

      September 18, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      Here are some ideas:
      Dorayaki
      Ichigo (Strawberry) Daifuku – replacing the strawberry with red bean paste
      Azuki (Red Bean) Ice Cream
      Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Shira says

    November 17, 2022 at 11:56 am

    How do I use canned beans in this recipe?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How Do You Make Chinese Red Bean Paste? – Bescord says:
    May 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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