Red Bean Paste

What can you do with red bean paste? Red bean pau, red bean pastry, red bean lye water dumpling, red bean pancake... So many choices and I really love to try 'em all, hopefully.

I often find store-bought red bean dessert or pastry too sweet for my liking, so homemade one is just the perfect choice. You get to adjust the sweetness, the texture.... and most importantly, say bye bye to additives. Do you like it coarse (still able to bite down the beans), or you prefer a smooth paste? It is up to you. 

Red Bean Paste

Ingredients

• 250g red beans
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon oil

Cooking Directions

1. Rinse and soak red bean in water for 2 hours.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in red beans. The water should be around 1 - 2 inch above the beans.
3. Cook the beans until soft enough to be mashed by your fingers, around 1 hour.
4. Turn off the heat and discard the water.
5. Heat a sauce pan, add 3 tablespoon of oil and add in cooked red bean and sugar.
6. Mash the red bean while stirring. Add more water if the paste becomes too dry.
7. Remove from heat once you achieve the consistency desired.
8. If you are not planning to finish the paste all at once, keep the paste frozen in freezer for up to a few months.

* If you prefer a smooth consistency, blend the red bean in blender.