Anko (Sweet Red Bean Paste) Recipe

Place beans in a saucepan and cover with 2 cups water; bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and discard water.

Place drained beans in a clean saucepan and cover with 2 to 3 cups water. Bring to a boil reduce heat to low cover the saucepan and simmer adding more water as needed until beans are soft and can be crushed between your fingers 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain beans and discard water.

Stir beans and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook stirring constantly until sugar melts and beans form a loose shiny paste about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the paste to a container to cool. Store covered in the refrigerator.