Azuki Ice Cream

Azuki beans are small red beans with sweet and nutty flavour. It is commonly used in sweet dishes. Consuming adzuki beans may offer cardiovascular benefits. Adzuki beans, like most starchy beans, are rich in a type of fiber known as soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

Since Azuki beans go well with sweets, we will be sharing a recipe that is a popular application of Azuki beans, the Azuki Ice Cream. This Ice cream is prepared by boiling and sweetening Azuki beans with sugar. And when the beans are tender, you’ll be passing it through a sieve to remove bean skins and also to form a paste.

This recipe makes 10 servings.

Ingredient	Quantity	Unit
Azuki red beans	250	g
White sugar	80	g
Lemon juice	10	ml
Water	875	ml
Crème anglaise:
Milk	250	ml
Cream	250	ml
Egg yolks	4	pcs
White sugar	160	g
Vanilla extract	5	ml

Procedure:

1.) In a saucepan, combine the azuki beans, 1/3 cup of sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil, and boil uncovered for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are very tender. When done, the beans and liquid should amount to 3 cups. If not, add more water to compensate.

2.) Strain the bean mixture through a sieve - I use a wooden paddle for this, and discard the bean skins. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until cold.

3.) In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. While you wait for that to boil, whisk together the egg yolks and 2/3 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. When the cream and milk come to a boil, ladle about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid into the bowl with the egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. 

4.) Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the cream, and cook over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take about 5 minutes. Do not cook too long, or you will get lumps. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.

5.) Once both of the mixtures are cold, stir them together. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.