Red Bean Paste

Put the 225 grams adzuki beans in a strainer and wash them well.

Add adzuki beans, 4 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a pressure cooker and affix the lid.

Set the pressure to high and bring the cooker up to pressure over high heat.

Adjust the heat down to maintain a gentle stream of steam escaping from the valve and then set a timer for 20 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally for 20-30 minutes.

When the pressure has dropped, open the lid and then dump the beans into a strainer set over a frying pan (a non-stick pan works best). Press on the red beans with a spatula to get as much liquid out of the beans as possible, but don't press the beans through the sieve.

Add the 200 grams evaporated cane sugar to the bean liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Skim any scum off that floats to the top, and continue boiling the mixture until it is thick and syrupy and has reached a temperature of 230°F (110°C).

Add the Adzuki beans to the syrup and stir well to combine. Continue cooking the mixture while constantly stirring until the red bean paste has thickened enough that you can run a spatula across the pan without the Anko immediately running back into the path.

Let the Anko cool to room temperature and transfer it to a container and refrigerate it overnight.