Azuki pie – “Pâtés d’azukis”

Azuki are one of the highest protein beans and lowest in fat. They contain high levels of potassium and fiber, as well as vitamins from the B-vitamin family such as thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin and minerals such as iron, zinc, and manganese. According to Chinese medicine, azuki are beneficial for the bladder, the reproductive functions and the kidneys. These beans are often used for sweet preparations, especially in Japanese sweets, but I love to cook them in pies or as warm side dish.

A few days ago, I bought what we call in French a “Pâté “, a kind of pie filled with azuki beans. It was so good that I started searching for recipes on the web but could not find any… So I tried my own recipe…

Ingredients for 6 pies:
dough:

2 cups of wholemeal flour

1/2 cup of sunflower oil

1/2 cup of soy yogurt (or normal yogurt)

salt, pepper

about 1/2 cup of lukewarm water

Azuki filling:

2 cups of azukis beans, soaked for at least 12 hours in water

1 tablespoon of oil

1 shallot

1 carrot

1 teaspoon of herbs of provence

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of hot paprika powder

salt, pepper

optionnal: 1 piece of dried kombu (a sea plant, easing the digestion of beans)

1 egg yolk (optional: it is for the glazing!)

Preparation:

Cook the azukis in boiling water with the kombu until they are tender. Do not add salt in the water before they are cooked.

Once they are cooked, add salt and pepper and leave aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped shallot and cook for a few minutes. Add the carrots, bay leaves and paprika. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the drained azuki beans. Stir and add some water so that the mixture does not dry and stick to the pan. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the dough by mixing all the indicated ingredients to form a soft and manageable dough.

Take a piece of dough (size of big walnut) and roll in a round shape. Add a tablespoon of the azuki mixture and close it, like a bundle. With a brush or with one finger spread some beaten egg yolk on the top and put the pies in the oven for 20 minutes at 180C.

Azuki pie