Japanese Sweet Red Bean Paste

Wash azuki beans. Pop in a saucepan and cover about 1cm / ½in above the beans with boiling water to allow them to soften for 30 mins.
Next place the soaked beans and water on high heat and bring to the boil. Boil down until all the liquid has evaporated (around 15 minutes). Drain any excess water which should look a murky brown red.
Add 2 cups of cold water and bring back to boil. Boil for another 15 minutes or until the water level goes below the beans. Stir occasionally to check no beans are sticking. Add another 2 cups of cold water and boil down again for another 15 minutes.
Once the water dips below the beans again, it’s time to add your sugar and pinch of salt and put the heat down to low-medium. This will allow the sugar to dissolve in the last of the water and be absorbed by the beans. At this stage the liquid should be dark and gently bubbling amongst the beans.
After 10 minutes the liquid should start to thicken. Do a ‘smoosh’ test first and squeeze an azuki bean to see if it squishes. If your beans aren’t soft enough, add another ½ – 1 cup of water and cook them for one last round (around 10 minutes).
Now it’s time to mash, mash, mash! You want a nice consistency where it has a nice balance of smooth and texture.
Your sweet red bean paste is now ready to use on your favorite Japanese desserts!