Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Cantonese Red Bean Sweet Soup with Tangerine Peel
陳皮紅豆沙
Recipe overview
No pre-soak is needed: boil then simmer adzuki beans until split, finishing with dried tangerine peel and rock sugar.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g dried adzuki beans
- 5 g (about 1 small piece) dried tangerine peel
- 1.8 litres water
- 100 ml hot water (if needed)
Finishing seasoning
- 140 g crushed rock sugar
02
Tools
- colander
- small bowl
- cutting board
- paring knife
- measuring jug
- large heavy saucepan with lid
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- 4 small bowls
03
Steps
Step 1
Sort and rinse beans
First tip dried adzuki beans 300 g into the colander, remove damaged beans and debris, rinse under running water for 1 minute and drain.
Step 2
Soften tangerine peel
Next put dried tangerine peel 5 g in the small bowl, add water 100 ml from the measured amount and soak for 10 minutes until flexible; reserve the water.
Step 3
Scrape the pith
Lay softened peel flat on the cutting board, lightly scrape away white pith with the paring knife and cut into 2 strips; keep the water 100 ml.
Step 4
Boil the beans
Put rinsed adzuki beans 300 g and remaining water 1.7 litres in the heavy saucepan; cover and heat on high about 10 minutes to a vigorous boil.
Step 5
Add the peel
Once boiling, add tangerine peel 2 strips and reserved soaking water 100 ml; stir once with the wooden spoon and boil hard for 5 minutes.
Step 6
Simmer slowly
Turn to low heat and leave the lid slightly ajar; simmer beans and peel for 40 minutes, scraping the base with the wooden spoon every 15 minutes.
Step 7
Check water level
After 40 minutes use the measuring jug to check liquid still covers the beans; only if low, add hot water 100 ml and simmer another 5 minutes.
Step 8
Mash some beans
When beans begin splitting, press about one quarter of the beans against the saucepan side with the wooden spoon for 2 minutes, leaving the rest whole.
Step 9
Cook until floury
Leave the lid ajar and simmer on low for another 15 minutes until most beans split and no hard white centre remains.
Step 10
Add rock sugar
Only after the beans are fully soft add crushed rock sugar 140 g; stir with the wooden spoon and simmer 8 minutes until completely dissolved.
Step 11
Check consistency
Lift soup with the wooden spoon: it should flow back slowly and a bean should crush easily; if thin, cook uncovered for 2 minutes while scraping the base.
Step 12
Rest and portion
Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes, remove the tangerine-peel strips, then ladle the sweet soup equally into 4 small bowls.
Common mistakes
- Unsorted beans may leave stones or damaged beans in the pot.
- Leaving white pith on the peel can make the soup bitter.
- High heat throughout evaporates water too fast and scorches the base.
- Adding sugar before the beans soften makes them harder to cook tender.
Tips
Wait until the bean centres have no hard white point before adding sugar. Mash only one quarter for a creamy but still home-style texture.
