Desserts Recipes - Sweet Aduki Bean Paste Jellies Recipe

Ingredients

• 200g/7oz can aduki beans

• 40g/1 1/2oz/3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

For the agar-agar jelly:

• 2 x 5g/1/8oz sachets powdered agar-agar

• 900ml/3 3/4 cups water

• 100g/3 3/4oz/1/2 cup caster sugar

• rind of 1/4 orange in one piece

Serves 12

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Method:

1. Drain the beans and heat them in a pan. When steam begins to rise, reduce the heat and stir in the sugar, one-third at a time, until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.

2. To make the jelly, dissolve one agar-agar sachet in half the water in a pan. Add 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the orange rind. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the orange rind the pour half the liquid into a 16 x 10cm/6 x 4in shallow dish. Leave at room temperature to set.

3. Mix the bean paste with the agar-agar liquid in the pan. Move the pan on to a wet dishtowel and stir for 8 minutes. Pour into an 18 x 7.5 x 2cm/7 x 3 x 3/4in container and leave to set for 1 hour at room temperature, followed by another hour in the refrigerator. Turn upside down on to a chopping board covered with kitchen paper, leave for 1 minute, then cut into 12 cubes.

4. Line 12 ramekins with clear film (plastic wrap). Cut the jelly block into 12 squares and put one in each ramekin. Place a bean paste cube on top of each one.

5. Using the remaining water and agar-agar, make up another batch of jelly as in Step 2. Stir in the remaining sugar. Boil for 2 minutes then place the pan on a wet dishtowel and stir for 5 minutes.

6. When the mixture starts to thicken, pour it over the cubes in the ramekins. Twist the clear film at the top to seal tightly. Leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, then remove the jellies from the ramekins and serve.

Note: These jellies look like blocks of ice in which semi-precious jewels have been set.