Mung Bean Soup 绿豆汤

  Mung Bean Soup 绿豆汤

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

Mung bean soup or mung bean porridge is a dessert most of us grew up with. A popular Malaysian fare which bring sweet comfort to warm our tummies during breakfast, supper and even popularly served at buffet in local hotels.

It is easy to boil but there are so many variations to its preparations, which usually is according to ethnic or community preference. Some like adding coconut milk or santan to enhance and enrich the flavour. I added sago pearls to thicken and smoothen its consistency.

I prepared this soup for breakfast on the first day of the Chinese New Year to go with Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Noodles because we need to observe a vegetarian diet on the first half day of the Lunar Chinese New Year.

Ingredients

100g mung beans
3 pandan (screw-pine) leaves
1/2 cup sago pearls
1300 ml water, or use more water if you prefer the consistency to be watery
100g to 150g sugar,  or according to taste preference

Method

1.  Wash mung beans thoroughly.
2.  Add in water and pandan leaves and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower heat and continue to simmer until the beans start to break down. Then add in sago pearls and continue to simmer until the consistency is porridge-like. 
3.  Add sugar last. Stir to mix well.

Sweet dessert which is popular and brings comfort to many of us

Red Ruby Dessert (Tub Tim Krob)

Red Ruby Dessert (Tub Tim Krob)

Recipe source :  The Malaysian Women's Weekly - May 2011 (courtesy of Chef Simon Seow)

This is a popular dessert in Thai restaurants. It is sweet, fragrant and very refreshing. Downing it is very satisfying after a hot and spicy Thai meal.

The crunchy water chestnut cubes look like red rubies, while the transparent sago looks like diamonds floating in a bowl of chilled coconut milk.

And the taste is simply awesome!

My whole family likes this very much. Excellent!

Ingredients

100g water chestnut, cut into small cubes
10 drops red food colouring
100ml sugar (for syrup)
70g sago
80ml water
180g tapioca flour
200ml coconut milk, chilled
Ice cubes
Flesh of one piece of jack fruit, cut into small cubes

Top: sago- Left: jackfruit- Right: water chestnut

Method

1. Skin the water chestnuts and cut into small cubes. Place them in a bowl of water and add red food colouring. Set aside to let the chestnuts absorb the colour.
2.  Boil sugar in 80ml water until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and put the syrup in the refrigerator to chill. 
3.  Bring 200ml of water to boil in a pan over medium heat.
4.  Rinse sago in cool tap water and put immediately into the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the sago turns transparent.
5.  Remove pan from stove and pour into a large sieve. Rinse under running tap water then leave to soak in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
6.  Strain the water chestnuts. Leave them in a sieve for 30 seconds to drain off the coloured water.
7.  Place tapioca flour in a large bowl. Mix the water chestnuts with the tapioca flour. Pour over a sieve to shake off excess flour. Use hand to shake further to remove as much flour as possible.
8.  Cook the water chestnuts in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until they float to the surface.
9.  Remove water chestnuts with a slotted spoon and mix immediately with chilled sugar, coconut milk, ice cubes and sago in a large bowl.
10. Add in jack fruit cubes.
11.  Serve chilled.

Extremely delicious! 

Highly recommended!

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month
hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings


I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #6

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

  

Sago Pudding 西米布丁

Sago Pudding 西米布丁

 Sweet and fragrant

Ingredients

( serves 2 person )


6 tbsp pearl sago
1 litre water
1/2 cup thick santan (coconut milk) add a sprinkle of salt into the santan

Ingredients For Syrup

90g palm sugar or gula Melaka ( chopped )
50g sugar
150 ml water

Put all the ingredients for the syrup into a small pot and cook until they dissolve. Let it cool down and chill the syrup in the refrigerator. 

Instructions

1.  Boil 1 litre of water in a small pot
2.  Wash sago and soak for 10 to 15 minutes or until sago is soft and swollen. Drain well.
3.  Put soaked sago into the boiling water. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sago become soft and transparent. Remove from heat and pour into a strainer to drain off the water.
4.  Pour cold water through the sago in the strainer to wash away excess starch.
5.  Spoon sago into 2 small dessert bowls or 2 cone-shaped moulds. Press gently till compact. Chill in the fridge.
6.  To serve, turn the chilled sago pudding into ice-cream glasses or small shallow bowls. Pour 2 to 3 tbsp of palm sugar syrup into the sago pudding. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of the santan to the sago pudding
7.  Serve as a cold dessert

Coconut Sago 西米椰子糕

Coconut Sago 西米椰子糕

 

  A popular kuih sold by Malay vendors at pasar malam (night markets)

I grew up seeing this kuih being sold by Malay vendors at their stalls in the morning markets as well as in the night markets. Yet, I have never bought this kuih as I would buy my favourite varieties time after time out of habit and out of preference.  As such I have not  tasted this sweet confection until I tried making it myself today!

Well, it is tasty, not bad at all.  It is soft and sweet and the coating of grated coconut added a slight crunch to it.

 

Ingredients

1 cup pearl sago
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups grated coconut
a pinch of salt
pink colouring

Instructions

1.  Put the sugar and water in a pot. Stir over slow heat until the sugar dissolves.
2.  Bring to the boil and add the sago pearl. Stir constantly for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sago is transparent and soft.  Add 2-3 drops of pink colouring and stir well.
3.  Pour sago into a shallow pan and allow to cool and set
4.  Add a pinch of salt to the grated coconut and mix well
5.  When the sago has cooled, cut into the desired shapes and roll each piece into the grated coconut to coat it
6.  Chill in the refrigerator before serving




Note: If the sago is not properly cooked the centre will remain hard. Use a spoon to scoop up some to test.