Super beans: Adzuki beans. How to cook?

Beans know everything and many like, but its use for desserts for us is somewhat unusual and unusual. Meanwhile, there is a special variety, cultivated for centuries, rich not only in protein, but also in sugars.

Champion among legumes

The second name is vigna angular. This is a whole genus of herbaceous annual plants from the legume family. The natural environment of growth is Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, where it was first cultivated. In the pods of plants small beans (up to 5 mm in length) are collected, they can have different colors: black, gray, white, with varying degrees of variegation. However, red adzuki beans are most famous and valuable. In Japan, for example, it is the second most popular soybeans. This is a valuable source of vegetable protein - the main building material for the human body. In addition, it contains a sufficient amount of folic acid, iron and complex carbohydrates.

In Asia, adzuki is most often used in the preparation of various desserts and baked goods. In particular, in China and Japan, sweet bean paste - Anco is very popular. It is used as a stand alone dish or filling for various kinds of baking.

Preparation of Adzuki Beans

From the familiar and familiar beans, the type of Adzuki is notable for its softness, sweet taste and delicate nutty aroma. The main plus and nuance in its preparation - soak the beans is not necessary. Without such preliminary preparation, the beans are cooked quickly.

Beans need to be washed, and then pour water in a ratio of 1: 3. Cook over low heat after simmering for about 45 minutes. Remove the remaining liquid from the finished bean. With this method of preparation, practically all useful and valuable components are stored in it. A good assistant in this case will be a steamer - in it beans are prepared for about 1.5 hours.

If you bumped into the store for adzuki beans, recipes with its use will come in handy. True, it is worth noting that most of them are very exotic for our cuisine and sometimes it is difficult to find some ingredients. We suggest you try to prepare the adzuki beans as a second course and traditional Asian delicacies.

Beans with lentils and peppers

A substantial second course, prepared according to this recipe, is an excellent source of protein. At the same time, it has insignificant calorie content. You will need:

• Bean adzuki - 50 g;
• Lentil puii - 30 g;
• Red beans (common) - 50 g;
• Olive oil - 50 ml;
• Bulgarian pepper (medium size) - 2 pcs .;
• Onion - 1 pc .;
• Chili pepper - 1 piece;
• Tomatoes - 300 g;
• Garlic - 2 cloves;
• Tomato paste - 500 ml;
• Fresh coriander-1 bunch;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

The usual beans must be soaked overnight in a sufficient amount of water, then dried. The peculiarity of cooking this dish is a special stage - scalding with boiling water. Beans need to be boiled, dried and rinsed in cold water. Then pour water and cook, without covering the lid, on high heat for 10 minutes. Then, on a low fire, cover it up to softness (30-40 minutes).

Adzuki beans and lentils are cooked in a similar way in a separate saucepan, the cooking time for these ingredients decreases accordingly to 12-15 and 20-25 minutes, respectively. Dry all beans and set aside.

In a thick-walled frying pan in warm olive oil fry onion, red pepper and chili, garlic until soft. It takes about five minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with powdered chili and salt. Then add all the legumes, tomatoes and tomato paste, stew the mixture for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should become thick in consistency. At the end of cooking add the chopped cilantro.

Recipe Anco

This is a very unusual treat, popular in Japan and China. To make it, you will need:

• Beans adzuki - 200 g;
• White sugar - 200 g;
• Salt - one pinch.

Beans should be soaked overnight in water. After 8-12 hours you can start cooking. Beans pour water 4-5 cm above the surface and bring to a boil over high heat, then add more liquids and cook for about an hour. Finished beans should be easily crushed by fingers.

Sugar in the semi-prepared paste is poured into three stages, with the fire must be strong, and the mixture must be constantly mixed. Add the salt. The paste will be ready when the bottom is exposed with stirring for 3-4 seconds. Turn off the fire, allow the mixture to cool down a bit and put it into the pouch sacs, if you do not plan to use it immediately. Bean paste can be stored in the refrigerator for a week, and in the freezer for up to one month.

Very much depends on the cooking time. As can be seen in the photo, the consistency from this is completely different. However, like the original names. In the photo above on the left - tsibuan, and on the right - koshian (more paste-like mass). Try different options and choose the best for you!

Moti is a Japanese dessert

Ingredients:

• Beans adzuki - 300 g;
• Rice flour - 250 g;
• Cornstarch - 250 g;
• Salt - one pinch;
• Sugar - 100 g;
• Powdered sugar - 200 g;
• Water - 250 g.

Beans must be boiled for 45 minutes with the addition of 100 g of sugar. Let the mixture cool down and grind it to a consistency of puree, or go more complicated way and cook the bean paste according to the previous recipe.

Sugar powder, rice flour and starch is mixed in a special bowl, then add water and cook in the microwave at the highest power for 1-2 minutes. Time is individual and depends on many indicators. Ideally, you should get a smooth, soft, elastic and sticky, but not slippery mass.

From the test done, make cakes and place the inside of the bean paste, then form the ball, as shown in the photo above, and roll it in the sugar powder.

So it turns out an unusual Japanese dessert - mochi. You can experiment with stuffing and sprinkling, using pistachios, persimmons, sesame, etc.