Sweet beans paste (Anko, あんこ)

Anko is beans paste. My husband loves to spread it on a toast. Discover your own use.

Ingredients

Red beans (azuki): 2 cups

Left: red beans, right: black pepper

Sugar: 1.5 cup

Salt: 1/2 teaspoon

Water: adjust to suit your needs

Instruction

1. Wash red beans. 
   
2. Put them and enough water to cover in a pot. I used a pressure cooker today to save cooking time.
   
3. Heat the pot until it boils, uncovered. Skim the foam from the surface.
   
4. Add water up to twice the height of beans.
5. Cover the pot with a lid and heat it until it boils. Cook them for 15 minutes with a pressure.
6. In case you don't have a pressure cooker, simmer the beans for about 45 minutes until they become soft.
7. When the pressure cooker cools down, open the lid and add salt and sugar. Simmer them over low heat for about 5 minutes to reduce its broth with mixing. The texture of anko becomes thicker.
8. Store it in a jar and it will last for about a week in a fridge. You can eat anko with mochi, toast and so on.