Sweet red kidney/asuki bean soup

[PandaBear]

That free soupy desert in Chinese restaurant.



1 cup of red kidney/azuki beans
7 cups of water
1 dried tangerine or orange peel, to remove bean's stuffiness in general
1/4 to 1/2 cups of lotus seed to give the floral aroma
8 table spoons of brown sugar (or white sugar if preferred)


soak the beans overnight
soak the lotus seed for 2 hours

bring tangerine/orange peel to a boil
turn the heat down to simmer
add beans and seed, partially cover and simmer for 1.5 hours, until the beans starts to break apart
add as much sugar as you preferred
add water to thin if preferred
remove the tangerine/orange peel, it had done its job
serve hot or cold

 

[moribundman]

Never mind. I figured it out with the crypto key.

 

[moribundman]

I've been wracking my brain over the meaning of the "bean's stuffiness in general." What are you trying to say?

I'm not sure I know the dessert you describe.

 

[PandaBear]

Sorry. If you eat a beans that are not yet flavored, you can tell that it has a nutty flavor. If you boil a lot of it, it kinds of smell like .... I don't know, protein that went bad?


I'm making this in the kitchen right now. 1st batch failed. I removed the lotus seed and replaced it with dried fruit from the recipe and it really doesn't taste right. I just realized that lotus seed paste/lard was used as the filling of moon cake, and that really gives the smoothness to the soup.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

When my mom makes it she only uses the red beans, sugar, and water. The thing though is that the beans seem to never soften up no matter how long they were soaked or simmered. Might try mixing the paste ones in a can with water someday. Would certainly be faster than waiting for the beans to get soft.

 

[Pablo]

Well one thing with beans, even a hint of acid and they will never cook down to mushy.

I know the soup you speak of, I'm not a fan. Is this a Chinese-American thing? I never saw it in China. It's perhaps closer to Japanese "an".

And I would think kidney beans would be entirely inappropriate for this, but maybe that's just my preference.

Does "stuffiness in general" = 4 star f*rts?

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Sorry. If you eat a beans that are not yet flavored, you can tell that it has a nutty flavor. If you boil a lot of it, it kinds of smell like .... I don't know, protein that went bad?


Uh, okay then.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Does "stuffiness in general" = 4 star f*rts?


All your f*rts is belong to us!

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Does "stuffiness in general" = 4 star f*rts?


No, more pleasant than that. It is more like boiled, not roasted, barley without any seasoning. That's it.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Well one thing with beans, even a hint of acid and they will never cook down to mushy.

I know the soup you speak of, I'm not a fan. Is this a Chinese-American thing? I never saw it in China. It's perhaps closer to Japanese "an".

And I would think kidney beans would be entirely inappropriate for this, but maybe that's just my preference.

Does "stuffiness in general" = 4 star f*rts?



This is a Southern China / Cantonese / Hong Kong thing. China is very big so you don't see the same food everywhere.

Last night's trial went ok, the beans aren't cooked to mushy. Wife told me it is the wrong kind of red kidney beans (got medium large, but need ultra small instead). The right kind will make the soup red and smooth, mine is chewy.

In terms of the lack of creaminess, I tried adding coffee creamer to it and it works, so I guess I will try adding milk or buttermilk next time. Lotus seed or Logan (dragon eye) fruit will work too. I will probably add some sweet sticky rice to it for that.

Now I also remember the kind of sugar I should have used. The red brick of raw cane sugar (like a plywood of wafer), those have the hard core raw cane flavor.


Red kidney bean

Red bean soup

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

For the creaminess in the dessert soups, my mom adds coconut milk. I don't remember her using it with red bean but it tastes good with the mung bean variety.