International kitchen

Red Bean Paste

Chinese Cuisine Red bean paste (in simplified Chinese: 红豆沙, in traditional Chinese: 紅豆沙, Pinyin: hóngdòushā, meaning "red bean sand", due to its texture) is a sweet paste used for many things in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine. It is made from mashed adzuki beans (known as red beans in Chinese), mixed with sugar. A range of texture from coarse and gritt

Red Bean Paste prepared recipe
PrepNot statedCook255 minServesFlexibleLevelAdvanced
Cook with confidence

Before you start

A quick setup makes the method easier to follow and keeps important steps from being missed.

Preparation checklist

  • Read all 9 method steps from beginning to end.
  • Measure and arrange all 4 listed ingredients.
  • Set aside about 255 minutes, based on the time recorded by the source.

Recipe notes & preparation tips

75 ml sounds like a lot of oil, but it is required to drive out the water properly.

Adapted from the source recipe's notes.
Step by step

Method

  1. 01

    Wash the beans, checking for and removing any that are damaged or diseased. Soak the beans in cold water for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight. This softens the beans slightly and reduces the cooking time greatly.

  2. 02

    Drain the beans and rinse once soaked.

  3. 03

    Place into a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil.

  4. 04

    Simmer the beans for 1½–2 hours, until soft and disintegrating slightly. Longer boiling will result in a smoother paste. Remember to top up the water occasionally so the beans don't boil dry and burn.

  5. 05

    Drain away the water.

  6. 06

    Depending on the desired texture, mash the beans by hand (coarse) or in a blender (fine) until they are as you want. Note that the paste is very thick, so if using a blender, it is easier to do it a bit at a time.

  7. 07

    Stir in the sugar. You should now have a thick but damp paste.

  8. 08

    Preheat the oil in a frying pan or wok, and fry the bean paste, using a spatula or spoon to stir, until the water has been driven off. The bean paste will now be quite dry, with a slightly grainy texture.

  9. 09

    Cool, and store in an airtight container until needed. This paste will keep for at least a week in the fridge.

Ready to serve

Serve the dish as directed and enjoy it while it is at its best.

Bon appétit — enjoy your meal!
Transparent sourcing

Source & licence

This recipe was adapted and reformatted from Wikibooks Cookbook . Text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Image: CC BY 2.0, credited to Naotake Murayama from San Francisco, CA, USA; view original image record .