There are two types of An (sweet bean paste) in Japan. They are called Kuroan and Shiroan. They are classified by their colour, so kuroan is black and shiroan is white. However kuroan is much more of a red than black, but anyway.
Kuroan is made from Azuki beans. There are also two types of Kuroan: tsubu and koshi. These are the two different textures that the An can be. With tsubuan, the azuki beans are not hulled so the texture is not smooth. On the other hand, Koshian is strained and pureed so it is much smoother. Kuroan is widely used for making Wagashi, which are Japanese sweets, and you can buy them ready made in tins both in Japan and outside of Japan.
Shiroan is not so commonly sold in Australia and not even in Japan. But the type of Strawberry Daifuku that I used to eat use Shiroan, not Kuroan. So I am going to share a Shiroan recipe. Shiroan is more delicate than kuroan I think. Shiroan is always hulled, strained, and pureed. It is very simple to make but it just takes a little bit of time. So if you are going to make some Wagashi and need An, you need to make it ahead of time.
Shiro An
Instructions
- Soak the white kidney beans in water over night.
- Drain the water and hull the beans.
- Place the hulled beans in a saucepan and cover with water and cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans become soft.
- Drain the water and beat the cooked beans with a hand held electric mixer.
- Add sugar and a pinch of salt and stir constantly over low heat till the paste texture becomes a little bit thicker. It will become firmer when it has cooled down.
Hi Shihoko, I’m dying to make shiroan, but only have canned canneloni beans in the pantry. Will that work? How would I make the shiroan with the canned beans please. Thanks so much
Hi Lizz, yes you can make similar, I made Shiroan from canned cannellini but tasted a bit weird though texture was same.
I’m not sure whether to purchase great northern beans or cannellini beans. Are white cannellini beans the same as white kidney beans?
Hi Chloe, you can make Shiro-An from cannellini beans 😀
Hi,
After putting the paste in the fridge, should it still pour? I am afraid that I added too much sugar and that is why it did not concentrate as it should. Or did I cook for too short?
Hi Myriur, yes, it will as the temperature of the paste cool down 😀 That’s why you need to turn the heat off when it is still runny.
Hi. 10 minutes after I made the shiroan and put it in a container to cool on the counter, I went to check on it and it was rock hard. I feel like I did something wrong but not sure what.
Hi Catia, sorry to hear your anko become rock hard? I am not sure what happened. Usually the anko become a little firmer when its get cold, so you stop when it is still runny. But never become rock hard. So I am not sure what you did wrong.
Do I store it at room temperature or in the fridge? How long can I keep it for?
In the fridge, It will store for a few days in the fridge and a month in freezer.
Hi shihoko! Where do you get white kidney beans in Australia? Thank you!
Hi Hema, you can get them from Woolworths. Royal fields Northern Beans is $5 per 1kg packet and Marko Polo brand one is about $2 for 350g 😀
I can’t seem to find white bean paste. I was trying to work around all the prep time of soaking beans for 24 hours. I tried to use sit bean paste instead. Used only about 20% of sugar called for. Used equal amount of water. Did not thicken after heated in microwave & cooled. I’m heating it over a boiling pan of water. Aiming for 30 minutes. Will this work? Can soybeans be substituted for white kidney beans?
Hi Robert, Reducing sugar content 80% less will change moisture balance and preservation property of Anko completely. So I am not sure what advice I could give. Also I have never used soybeans so I don’t know if soybeans create Anko particles or not. I am not sure which country you live in but have you tried online?
Organic Cannellini Beans
Hi! Can I make this with stevia instead of sugar, or is sugar necessary for the right texture?
Hi Tama, I think you can substitute sugar with stevia but as you suspect, it will change the texture and consistency. You may need to cook longer after you add stevia.
Hi.can I use pinto beans and molasses sugar?
Hi Pika you can use pinto beans but I am not sure about molasses sugar as Japanese don’t use it. As long as it is solid I think it will work.
This was the simplest recipe I found to make 白あん! Thank you for making it! I have a quick question, is a handheld electric mixer absolutely needed? Or could I just stir with a wooden spoon?
Hi Arinah, you are welcome 😀 I am glad the recipe is helpful. No you don’t need a handheld mixer. It will just make the shiro an smoother but if you prefer tsubu an texture, you can just stir with a wooden spoon.
so great i like it
thank you 🙂
I made this with canned white kidney beans and it still needed a pinch of salt. Without, it was too sweet.
I even used about 15 g less sugar than the recipe calls for.
I didn’t expect it to be so seeet.
This was my first try and the Shiroan is ready to make
The nirikiri now! So excited to see how my first wagashi turns out!
Hi Tracy, that’s fantastic! The good thing about an is you can adjust the taste to your like. Please let me know how your nerikiri wagashi turned out 😀
Can I substitute the kidney beans with canned cannellini beans instead? I can’t find anywhere that finds dried white kidney beans…
Hi Edward, Yes you can :D. I actually tried it with canned cannellini beans, but making it from dried white kidney bean tasted better. Try without adding salt.