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180g glutinous rice flour
¼ teaspoon salt
155ml water
½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Mung Bean Filling:
70g split mung beans, simmered in ¼ cup
of water until soft, then drained
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
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Method:
To make the mung bean filling, mix the
mung beans thoroughly with the sugar and salt, then set aside.
Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl and gradually add enough water
to make a smooth, non-sticky dough. If the dough seems too wet
to work with, add a little more rice flour. If desired, add a
few drops of food coloring to color the dough. Knead the dough
for 10 to 15 minutes. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll
it into a ball. Flatten slightly, then press the center of the
dough with your thumb to make a dent. Use your thumb and index
finger to shape the dough into a Chinese teacup, pressing the dough
lightly between your fingers and rotating the dough at the same time
so that all the sides of the teacup are of even thickness. Place
a heaped teaspoon of the filling into the cup, patting it down gently.
Press the edges of the dough together to seal, pinching lightly to
form a ridged seam. The filled dough should resemble a half
moon. Repeat until all the dough and filling are used up.
Brush a plate with the sesame oil and place the cakes on the plate in
a single layer. Steam for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are
cooked. If desired, brush the top of each cake with the sesame
oil, then serve warm, or at room temperature. Mung Bean Filling
is savory. For a sweeter filling, use ½ cup (90g) steamed
chestnuts mashed with 2 teaspoons sugar. Alternatively, you can
also use sesame seeds as the filling. If available, place the
cakes on a bed of pine needles when steaming so that the delicious
aroma imparts a subtle flavor to the cakes. Always adjust amount
of sugar in the recipe to taste.
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