Azuki with Home Made Bread

Posted April 30th, 2009 in Food No Comments »

Azuki is red colored tiny beans which oftenly used for Japanese sweets.  In Japan we use azuki bean paste (paste is called “An“) as a filling for manjyu (Japanese cake), steamed buns, bread (An Pan), etc,  or as a topping for pan cakes, sticky rice cake, ice cream…  there is azuki ice cream too.  I’m sure you’ve seen azuki ice cream in Japanese restaurants. 

An has actually different types: very smooth to chunky.  I like chunky An as I can enjoy the texture of beans.  

Here is the recipe for “An” …

  • 250g azuki beans (raw)
  • 250g sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
   
  1. Place azuki beans in a large pot, and fill with water.  Bring to boil and then drain.  Repeat this action 2~3 times.  
  2. Place beans in the pot and fill with water.  Bring to boil, and then turn down the heat.  Simmer over law heat until beans easily break when you squeeze with two fingers.
  3. Drain beans well.  Place beans in a clean pot, and add sugar and salt.  Turn on the heat and dissolve sugar over law to medium heat.  Stir occasionally.
  4. When you scrape away the beans and you can see the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat.  Spread beans onto a flat tray or plate.  Let it cool. 
   
Softer you boil beans at stage 2, smoother the An becomes.

My friend gave me this beautiful loaf the other day, and I enjoyed thick toast with chunky An.  I love this bread!  It’s dense, and chewy.  Scent of honey really whet my appetite.  I can’t get enough of this.  So nice ♪ 




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