Anman - steamed buns with sweet red bean paste
This was my favorite food to get at japanese school. I loved it so much that I begged the chef for the recipe and learned to make them at home!
The ideal easiest way to make this is by using a stand mixer for the dough, a pressure cooker/instant pot for cooking the beans, and a bamboo basket for steaming the buns, but you can make do kneading the dough by hand, cooking the beans in a regular pot, and using whatever steamer you have available! It will just take more work and time, potentially.
Ingredients
- For red bean paste:
- about 2/3 cup (~125g) azuki beans
- about 1/2 to 2/3 cup (100-125g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- For dough:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- half a cup (120ml) warm water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
- a tiny bit of oil
How to make
Smooth red bean paste- Wash the beans twice.
- (optional step) to get rid of any bitter taste in the beans, boil them for 5 minutes with a few cups of water. Discard the water.
- In your pot of choice, add the beans and 2-3 cups of water. If in a regular pot, simmer at low heat for 1.5-2 hours, mixing and adding more water as needed. If cooking in an instant pot, cook for about 20 minutes.
- Tip: while the beans are cooking, you can get started on the dough!
- After cooking, the beans should be soft and easily crushed between fingers. Add beans and a bit of the cooking water to a food processor, and mash until it becomes a smooth paste. (optional) strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps or skins.
- Put the paste in a pot, add sugar, and cook at medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir constantly. When the paste is thick, shiny, and sweet, place it in a container to cool.
Anman
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- In the bowl/mixer, add the flour, sugar, and (optional) baking powder. Add the yeast water and a tiny bit of oil, and mix.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth, but not too sticky. Add a little bit of flour or water to adjust it if needed.
- Roll the dough into a ball and let it rest in the bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel, for 40-60 minutes, until it's risen to double its size.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (or whatever size you want). Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it into a circle, with the edges thinner than the middle.
- Spoon the red bean paste (about 2 Tbsp) into the middle of the dough circles. Wrap the dough around and pinch it at the top. Shape it carefully into a ball.
- Do the same for all the remaining buns.
- Cut squares of parchment paper (a bit bigger than the buns) and place each bun on one.
- Steam them at medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, leaving a few inches of space between each bun so that they don't become stuck together. They can grow quite a bit while steaming!
- They're ready! Enjoy!
