If you like beans and use lots of them for your cooking, you better to buy them in Asian supermarket, they are far more cheaper. And they have lots of different kind of beans and flours as well.
Mung bean, ( the picture left green one is mung beans, the right yellow one is called washed mung bean 開邊綠豆 ), The ‘washed mung bean’, means huskless, Indian people called it: ‘mung dal’, but they are the same thing. Also they said : split mung beans huskless.
Lots of Asian use this split mung beans 開邊綠豆 to make dessert, cake filling, cookies or ice cream as well. But, do you know beans sprout is made from mung beans (the green one), and the mung bean starch can make ‘bean thread noodle’, you can see the information from here : Mung bean
This time I will make some Split mung bean paste first and next time I use this paste to make one of the most popular chinese mooncake, called: mung bean, snow pastry mooncake (綠豆茸冰皮月餅). Anyway, I’m not sure the english translate is right or wrong, if someone know how to translate, please, put a comment to me, so I can correct it.
So, I make this mung bean paste first, then make the mooncake later!
Mung Bean paste 綠豆茸（餡料）
Ingredient:
- Split mung beans (yellow one) 開邊綠豆 360g
- Sugar 150g (more or less)
- Condensed milk 煉奶 50g
- Vegetable oil 60 to 80ml
- Custard powder 25g
- Milk powder 14g
- Wheat starch 澄麵 10g ( optional )
Method:
- Soak the split mung beans 開邊綠豆 into a large bowl of water for 4 hours (if the weather is cold) or even overnight.
- Drain all the water away, put the beans into a large pot with clean water to cover the beans, bring it to the boil for about 15 minutes, keep an eye on it, because it will overflow easily after it boiled. Turn the heat down to low heat and simmer about 20 minutes and check the beans is soft, then turn off the heat and keep the lid on, let the beans cool down inside the pot for 1/2 to 1 hour.
- Drain all the water away and use a muslin bag or one big clean tea towel to squeeze all the water away, then put the cooked beans into the blender and blend it like mashed potato.
- Put all the mashed beans into a wok, turn the heat on low, add half the sugar, oil and all of the condensed milk, use a wooden spoon to mix them in the wok, keep stirring in case it will burn underneath. If there still have small lumps, use a heatproof spatular to mash. Sieve the custard powder and milk powder into the paste and mix it well combine. Now test the taste is sweet enough for you, if not, adjust it with adding the other half sugar in, then add the other of oil and stir it until it smooth and silky. And now add the last ingredient in, the wheat starch, mix it all up and I found out that at this stage use the spatular is easier to mix it until smooth and silky.
- Now scoop the bean paste into a airtight container and let it cool down completely before you chill it in the fridge.
- It can keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, but if you can’t use all the quantity, take out how much you want for this few days, and the remaining paste keep into the freezer. Defrost it in room temperature for few hours or overnight in the fridge before you use it.
Note:
- Adjust the sugar for your taste, it will need more or less for your own choice.
- The next post I will make the mooncake. Because the coming sunday will be one of our chinese annual festival called: Mid-autumn festival. Usually every family members will try their best to gather together at home and have a big feast at the dinner time. That night is full moon as well, children will play their own lantern together, and the adult will have a chat and eat, so happy! But now, live in the other country, is not easy to gather whole family together, it just remind me the old days now!
- But I still make some mooncakes for the children, and let them to imagine this special day.
matchamochi 