However, for making white bean paste, I use high pressure for 15-20 minutes and run the food processor. According to the Instant Pot, it takes 6-10 minutes for soaked lima beans and 7-8 minutes for soaked navy beans. Yes, you can cut down on the cooking time by using a pressure cooker (Instant Pot). Can I use a pressure cooker instead of simmering on the stove? Adding some salt contrarily makes it taste a lot sweeter and brings out more flavors. You may wonder why salt (or salty taste) is required in the mixture when you are trying to sweeten. Sugar is necessary for the preservation of the bean paste, but if you are going to consume it soon, you can reduce the amount slightly. You can replace sugar with a healthier alternative, such as maple syrup or honey but the paste will be more liquidy and the flavor can be overpowering. You can, but typical traditional recipes require ⅔ to 1 part of sugar for 1 part of dried beans (in some cases, more than 1 part). I used Shirohana Mame (白花豆) from Hokkaido in this recipe (bought in Japan). Use lima beans (butter beans) or navy beans. However, the white bean paste is always hulled and smooth Koshian.įrequently Asked Questions on White Bean Paste 1. The red bean paste has two types non-hulled and coarse paste “Tsubuan” (粒餡) and hulled and smooth paste “Koshian” (漉し餡). You may be familiar with red bean paste made from azuki beans. The beans are hulled, simmered till tender, drained, and pureed/passed through before sugar is added to sweeten the paste. Shiroan (白餡 or 白あん) is the smooth and sweet white paste called an (餡) or anko (餡子) made from lima beans or butter beans, or in Japanese, Shiro Ingen Mame (白いんげん豆). Nonetheless, you can always make white bean paste ahead of time so it’s ready for use when you make Japanese sweets. It’s quite simple to make, but the process does take some time. While you can easily buy red bean paste in Japanese or Asian grocery stores, premade white bean paste is almost impossible to find outside of Japan.
It has a milder bean taste, so those of you who don’t like red bean paste may enjoy Wagashi (Japanese confectionery) filled with white bean paste. White bean paste or Shiroan (白餡, 白あん) is primarily used as a filling for sweet desserts and pastries in Japanese and East Asian cuisines.