Shiro An / White Bean Paste Recipe
A step-by-step guide to making traditional, silky-smooth Shiro An (Japanese Sweet White Bean Paste) from scratch. Perfect as a base for wagashi like nerikiri and daifuku, or as a natural, moisture-rich ingredient for modern wellness baking.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 92kcal
Ingredients
- 353 g White Kidney Beans Cannellini
- 358 g Granulated Sugar
- 3 g Baking Soda
- A pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the white kidney beans. Place them in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cover with three times their volume of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once simmering, stir in the baking soda and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, remove from the heat, and let the beans steam for 5 minutes.
- When the outer skins appear loose and wrinkled, drain the beans and plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice-cold water. Gently press each bean between your fingers; the skins should slide right off. Discard the skins.
- Return the peeled beans to the clean pot and add just enough cold water to cover them. Simmer on low heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
- Cook until the beans are completely tender and can be easily mashed to a smooth paste between two fingers. Add a splash of water if the liquid reduces too low during cooking.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the beans and their cooking liquid into the strainer. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, patiently press the beans through the mesh to remove any remaining fibers, creating a perfectly silky purée. You can rinse the strainer with a little extra cold water to help the paste pass through.
- Wash the Paste (Mizusashi): Fill the bowl containing your sieved bean mixture with plenty of clean, cold water and stir well.
- Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 15 to 20 minutes. The heavy bean starch will settle to the bottom, and the cloudy, bitter-tasting water will rise to the top. Carefully pour off (skim) the top layer of water. Repeat this rinsing process 2 to 3 times until the water is clear. This guarantees a pure, elegant flavor.
- Line a colander with a clean cheesecloth or a traditional Japanese tenugui. Pour the settled bean paste into the cloth, gather the edges.
- Squeeze firmly to express as much water as possible. The firm, crumbly mass left in the cloth is your raw bean paste, or nama-an.
- Cook with Sugar: Transfer the nama-an into a clean, wide non-stick pan (traditionally, a copper pan is used). Add the granulated sugar and place over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly with a heat-resistant spatula, ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pan continuously so the sugar doesn't scorch. The mixture will initially liquefy as the sugar melts, and then begin to thicken as the moisture evaporates.
- Cook until the paste holds its shape and a spatula drawn through the center leaves a clean trail. Keep in mind it will firm up significantly as it cools.
- Stir in a tiny pinch of salt, then immediately remove from the heat. Spread the hot shiro-an in a thin layer across a wide plate or a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool it down rapidly (leaving it in the hot pot will discolor the paste).
- Once completely cooled, transfer the paste to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days, or can be portioned and frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 35g | Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.3g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 41mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 10.5g