Prepare azuki beans. Wash them thoroughly a few times and take out any wrong beans.
Prepare a pot and add the beans to the pot. Pour 3 cups of water of the beans into the pot. Leave them overnight. I recommend soaking the beans in water for 12 hours.
Next day, remove the water from the pot. Quickly rinse the beans once. This removes the tartness and bitterness of azuki beans.
Pour about 2 cups of water into the pot. Bring it to a boil.
Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for an hour with the lid on. If you see any white bubbles on the surface of the beans, remove them with a spoon.
Check the beans. If they are soft enough to be crushed gently, add the sugar and salt.
Boil again for another 20 minutes with the lid open. Stir so the sugar and salt melt. It also helps to cook anko evenly without the bottom getting burned.
Taste the anko. If it needs to be thicker, cook the anko for longer. If it needs more sweetness, you can add more sugar. If it is too thick, check by adding a tablespoon of water and mixing it. You can repeat the process until you reach the desired state.
If you like rough anko, you can mash them with a spatula or mash them with a hand mixer until they reach your desired taste. If you like smooth anko, you can put them into the blender and blend until very smooth.
Cool down anko completely. It should get thicker as it is chilled. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze them in the freezer.
Enjoy!
