Red bean paste is called “PatAngGeum (팥앙금)” or “JeokAngGeum (적앙금)” in Korean. It is used for different kinds of sweet Korean dishes and desserts such as red bean porridge, red bean rice cakes, red bean ice cream, red bean paste bread, and so on. “Pat” means red bean, “Jeok” means red, and “AngGeum” means a paste. You can easily buy pre-made red bean paste in a can from a Korean or Asian grocery store; however, it is good to make your own at home, since it is healthier and tastier. I have been asked to make this recipe from many people who cannot buy it. So today, I very happy to share my recipe for red bean paste. Once you taste the delicious homemade red bean paste, you will not want to buy the one in the can anymore. 
Try it someday.
Yield: 2 Quarts
Short Korean Lesson: *^^*
- Pat (팥) = Red Bean
- Dal (달) = Moon
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 2 lb Red Bean (4 Cups)
- 2½ Cups Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- Water
Directions
Obtain 2 pounds of dried red beans. It will be about 4 cups.
Wash the red beans twice in cold water.
Soak the washed beans in water for about 3 hours.
Drain the beans, and then add about 6 cups of water to them.
Boil the beans on high for five minutes. Drain and discard the water to help remove any remaining dirt, pesticides, or other chemicals. Add more water and boil the beans on medium-high.
Add more water as it evaporates to make sure the beans don’t go dry. I ended up using about 16 cups of water all-in-all.
If the bean breaks easily when you pinch it gently, it is done cooking. It will take about 1 hour to 2 hours depending on how long your beans have been dried.
Drain the beans and put them in a mixer. Add just enough water to allow the mixer to grind the beans – be careful to not add too much water.
The texture for the paste will be smooth and mushy – not runny.
Add the red bean paste, 2½ cups of sugar, and ½ tsp of salt. Depending on your tastes, you can adjust the amount of salt and sugar.
Mix everything together, and then cook it on high for about 5 minutes. When the paste starts to bubble, it is done.
This recipe makes a large amount of red bean paste, so if it is too much for you, cut the recipe half. You can freeze any leftovers for later. To freeze it, put some of the red bean paste in a zip bag, squeeze out any air before completely sealing the bag, flatten the bag, and then place it in the freezer. When you use the the frozen paste, just thaw it before using it in your cooking. Enjoy! 
we tried this for my son and it turned out ok using red kidney beans!!!
Do you use drinking water or tap water for boiling?
hi Gina,
Since you boil the water with the beans.. actually it doesn’t matter much. You can use both. Thanks
p.s I’m living in USA..and I use tap water for cooking.
made it!!!
i was wondering why it wasn`t as black as on your picture but now after boiling it looks perfect!
thank you
I’ve been wanting to make this for so long and I finally found azuki beans! I made the paste today. It is a little runny, but it tastes veeeery good!! I’m going to make Sweet red bean bbang today with my sister
thank you for the recipe, I love it!
Is there an alternative to using a mixer for grinding the beans? I tried doing this and the beans wouldn’t blend without a good amount of water, which made it really runny…
hi Kara,
You can do smaller amount of beans each time with a little bit of water to grind.. that will help a little.. if your bean paste became too runny already.. you just have to evaporate the moisture while you are cooking the paste on the stove.. occasionally stir it
I was wondering if you had to wait until the red beans cooled down to blend them? Will the beans’ temperature effect how the paste turns out?
hi Leah S.,
No it will not effect that much.. you can just grind then when you want to do.
Your website is insane. I’m so glad I found it. Beautiful presentation and great detail. I love learning how to do sauces and pastes from scratch.
PS. You’re son is beyond cute. God bless him.
So excited to try this. Thank you. Why buy canned when you can make your own! This way I control the ingredients. Yay.
I want to make your Cannellini Bean cookie but can’t find white kidney bean paste…will this method work on making white kidney bean paste too?
hi shirely,
It is a little different..because you have to soak the beans and peel the skin off.. sorry it takes time to post the recipe. I will try to do that soon. thanks
The red bean paste can also be mixed together with sago,coconut milk and ice-cube. Hope you can used up all the paste within one week.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am addicted to red bean paste and have always wanted to make it at home. I am excited to try out your recipes.
What kind of red beans can I use? How about red kidney beans? Is there a special bean for this recipe?
Mee Ae, The type of red beans used here is Asian and very small in size. They are most commonly known under the Japanese name adzuki or atzuki beans. You can easily find them in Chinese, Japanese or Korean grocery stores. Please do not use red kidney beans, which are four times the size of red beans and, as far as I know, not used in sweet cooking.