Anko (Japanese sweet red bean paste)
Slow cooked azuki beans mashed with sugar into a thick, glossy, earthy sweet paste for dorayaki, mochi and toast.
- Time2 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.20 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Rinse the beans and put them in a large pan with 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the water. This takes away any bitterness.
5 min - 2
Return the beans to the pan with 500 ml fresh water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, topping up with hot water so they stay just covered, until very soft and easy to squash.
75 min - 3
Drain off most of the water, leaving a few spoonfuls. Stir in the sugar in two goes over a medium heat.
- 4
Cook, stirring and mashing the beans gently with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes until thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail on the base of the pan.
13 min - 5
Add the pinch of salt and leave to cool. The paste will thicken more as it cools.
- 6
Keep in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 2 months.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.