Your recipe is fabulous! Food is a function of its time and place. With all the other ingredients adding such robust flavors, a variance in bean paste is no cause for concern. If anything it makes it a little special as your own unique experience. Besides broad bean pastes wildly vary in flavor and consistency within their own category. The store bought dryer variety is heavy on the beans and not as spicy. Another brand I got from the restaurant supply store was spicier and crazy salty. The brand our restaurant ended up sourcing from a Union Foods importer in New York City is the most liquid and runny one I've used because it's blended with sesame oil and so much chili sauce that it's a vivid red.

BTW if you enjoy the pungent notes from star anise, you may also enjoy cardamom but be very careful. A little cardamom goes a long way. Our entire vat of braising liquid uses only a couple of pods.