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Sweet Red Bean Paste

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Sweet Red Bean Paste

Sweet red bean paste is a very popular ingredient that is added into a variety of Chinese cuisines and dessert soups. It includes red bean steamed buns and red bean dessert soup. Try to make it sometime and you might just fall in love with this delicious sweet red bean paste.

  • Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 8oz dried red beans
  • 3 cups water for boiling
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 2 tablespoon butter or lard
  • pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:

  1. Wash and soak dried red beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Shortens cooking time.)
  2. Remove red bean skin that floats on water surface.
  3. Pour soaked red bean into pot or high-pressure cooker and pour water till 1-2 inch above red beans.
  4. Bring to a boiling and turn down the heat to simmer for 1 hour or until red beans become soft. (For high-pressure cooker, cook for 40 mins.)
  5. Sieve red beans by pressing with a spoon to remove skin or pour content into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  6. Transfer red bean paste to a pan and add sugar and butter. Turn to low heat and simmer excess water out. Stir the paste constantly.
  7. Wait for paste to cool down and it’s ready to use. (You can freeze paste for up to 2 weeks. When you use the frozen paste, just thaw it before using it in your cooking. )

Sweet Steamed Egg with Milk- 鲜奶炖蛋

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Sweet Steamed Egg with MilkIngredients: Recipe for 5 small bowls.

  • 4 Eggs
  • 3 cups of milk
  • 1/3 cup of sugar, or as you prefer
  • Aluminum Foil

Direction:

  • Beat the eggs together, then add sugar, mix it well.
  • Next, add in the milk and mix slowly. Then use a spoon to scoop out the foam.
  • You pour the mix in to the bowl equally and cover the top of the bowl with aluminum foil. Then you steam it in a pot or wok for 10 minutes with the cover on and it’s ready to serve.

Red Bean Dessert Soup-红豆沙

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Red Bean Dessert Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup red bean
  • 2 pieces dried tangerine peel
  • 1/2 cup chinese rock sugar

Directions:

  1. Soak the red beans in cold water for 1 1/2 hour.  Discard all soaking water, put beans in large pot and add fresh water to 2 inches above the beans.  After water boils turn the heat down to medium low, put in the dried tangerine peels, and cook for approximately 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Be sure to top up the water as needed.  When the red beans are mostly broken down and the soup is thick with dissolved red bean, add the sugar to taste.  (Don’t add the sugar before this point otherwise your beans won’t soften properly!)  Once the sugar is dissolved let the soup cook down to the consistency that you like to have for your red bean soup. Some like it thicker and some like it thinner. Serve hot.

Papaya Sweet Soup-木瓜雪耳糖水

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Papaya Sweet Soup
The weather is really dry these days, so I want to cook a dessert that is nourishing and refreshing. This dessert is very simple and the ingredients are easy to find, also it is not too difficult to make.
Ingredients:

  • 2 dried white fungus(雪耳), aka snow ear fungus
  • 1 (500g) Papaya, cut into bite size
  • 1 tbsp south almond (南杏), aka sweet apricot kernels
  • 60g rock sugar or as you prefer
  • 10 1/2 cup water

Directions:

  1. Soak snow ear fungus in water for half to an hour or until it softened and roughly doubled in size. Discard water. Trim the firm part from its bottom.
  2. Tear or cut the fungus into smaller pieces resembling petals. Wash them in a colander under running to remove any dirt. Drain dry.
  3. Wash almonds, soak them in water for about 15 minutes. Discard water. 
  4. Put the almond, white fungus, Papaya, and sugar into a pot of water and bring to a boil, then put to medium to low heat and cook for 30mins- 1hr.
  5. It’s ready to eat

Tip:

  • Choose a papaya that is not too ripe, or it will turn mashy after boiled.

Mango Sago Pomelo -杨枝甘露

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Mango Sago Pomelo
Ingredients: Recipe for 4 Servings.

  • 400ml mango juice (freshly squeezed using fruit juice extractor or ready made; I use Marigold PeelFresh)
  • 150ml evaporated milk
  • 2 large ripe honey mangoes, cubed
  • sugar syrup by mixing 2 tbsp caster sugar with just enough hot water to dissolve
  • 80g sago pearls
  • Pomelo, peeled and sacs separated, about 50g or more

Directions:

  1. Boil a pot of water to boil. Add sago and simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, cover the pot with lid and let the sago continue to cook on its own for about 10 minutes, until all the sago turns translucent. Run the cooked sago through a fine sieve and running water to remove excess starch. 
  2. Reserve one quarter of the cubed mangoes for garnishing (step 4). In a blender, blend the rest of the mangoes and the evaporated milk for a short while till well mixed.
  3. Mix mango smoothie prepared in step 2 with mango juice. Add sugar syrup to taste. Add cooked pearl sago prepared in step 1 to the mixture. Chill in fridge.
  4. To serve, portion out to individual serving bowls and garnish with pomelo sacs and cubed mangoes.

Mango Mochi- 芒果糯米糍

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Mango MochiAdapted from Chinese Desserts Made Easy

Mango is a fruit rich in vitamin A,B,C and calcium. Making a fruit into a beautiful dessert for afternoon tea is a pleasure.

Ingredients:

  • 2 mangoes
  • about 225 g glutinous rice flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. Peel one mango. Dice it. Put into a blender. Add about 1/2 cup water and blend until fine. Set aside.
  2. Mix evaporated milk and cornstarch. Set aside.
  3. Peel the remaining mango. Dice it. Put into a small pot. Add sugar and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Pour in the cornstarch mixture from Step 2. Heat over low heat while stirring continuously. Cook until it thickens. Set aside to let cool. This is the filling.
  4. Mix mango juice from Step 1 and glutinous rice flour well. Divide into portions. Wrap each portion with some filling. Knead round or any shapes. Cook in boiling water until done. Drain and coat with shredded coconut. Serve.
Tips:

  • Always choose ripe mangoes that are long in shape. They taste sweeter.

Green Bean Soup-绿豆糖水

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Green Bean Soup

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Ready In: 1hr 10 mins

Ingredients: Recipe for 4 servings.

  • 1/3 cup small sago (small tapioca pearls)
  • 100 grams green beans (aka lu dou/綠豆) soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
  • 2 pandan (screw pine) tied in a knot
  • 1.7 litres water
  • 10 grams (or 3 small pieces) dried orange/tangerine peel (陈皮)
  • 80 grams canned or vacuum-packed lotus seeds or ginkgo nuts optional
  • 70 grams rock sugar (冰糖) to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add sago and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, cover the pot with lid and let the sago continue to cook on its own for another 10 minutes, until all the sago turns translucent. Run the cooked sago through a fine sieve and running water to remove excess starch. Set aside.
  2. In a bigger soup pot, add green beans, pandan leaves, water and orange peel. Bring to a boil.
  3. Add lotus seeds/gingko nuts and reduce heat to a simmer, partially covered, for about 50 minutes (or until the beans are soft), stirring the sides and bottom of the pot occasionally. Top up with hot water at any time if needed.
  4. Stir in rock sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Discard orange peel slices and pandan leaves. Add the cooked sago prepared in step 1 to the green bean soup. Serve warmed or chilled.

Durian Mochi

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Durian is a fruit known as the King of Fruits. Many people may see it as a smelly fruit, but it is delicious, soft, and sweet. This food is very popular for it’s unique characteristics. But just give it a try, and you might just fall in love with it. Especially if you put this fruit into mochi, it might just become a dessert. Here’s a recipe of how to make Durian Mochi. Enjoy!
Ingredients: Recipe good for about 18 Durian Mochi.
  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour
  • 2 tablespoon wheat starch
  • 1/3 sugar
  • 1cup milk
  • 3 pieces of durian (take out the seed)
  • a pinch of salt
  • some cornstarch/ potato starch for dusting

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, mix together the glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, sugar, milk, and salt until no visible lump is seen.
  2. Take out the durian seed, set aside the durian paste in a small plate.
  3. Over medium low heat, heat up the mixture, keep stirring. The paste will start to thicken.
  4. Remove from heat once the mixture turns dough-like.
  5. Have a parchment paper ready and place on flat surface. Heavily dust the surface of the parchment paper with cornstarch / potato starch.
  6. Move the glutinous rice dough onto the surface. Dust the dough with cornstarch / potato starch, and start rolling it flat.
  7. Use a cookie cutter and cut the flatten dough into circles. On each piece use a brush and brush off excess cornstarch/ potato starch (This way when you each it, you won’t taste so starch on your mochi.) The excess dough roll up again and make more circles.
  8. On each pieces, place around a bite of durian paste (not too much or else the mochi will not close up) and wrap it up. Gently press the edges to seal it up.
  9. Dust the mochi with a little cornstarch / potato starch so it doesn’t stick together.
  10. Keep the mochi in the fridge if not consume immediately. Enjoy!

Double Skin Milk Pudding- 双皮奶

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Double Skin Milk PuddingRecipe By Cookabulous

Ingredients: Recipe for 5 servings.

  • 4 egg whites
  • 3 cups of whole milk
  • 1/3 cup of sugar

Directions:

  1. Pour milk equally into the 5 bowls and steam it in a wok or pot with the lid on for 10 minutes and let it cool.
  2. In a big bowl, beat the egg white and sugar until it turns foamy.
  3. Let the milk cool down, a skin will form on top of the milk. Using a knife or a pair of chopsticks, nudge on the edge of the skin until it separates partially from the bowl. Hold the skin back and slowly pour 2/3 of the milk into the big bowl so the skin won’t stick to the small bowl.
  4. Slowly stir the milk together with the egg white. Pour mixture through sieve, use a spoon to scoop out the extra foam. (This makes the dessert extra smooth.)
  5. Pour mixture back into the original bowl with the skin. Be sure to pour carefully and preferably right where the skin was broken earlier. The skin should float back up to the top but if it gets bunched up, nudge it until it floats to the top. Being gentle is key in this step.
  6. Cover the top of each bowl with aluminum foil, put them in a wok or pot with the lid on and steam for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove the pudding and let it cool for 15 minutes. The second layer of skin will form soon.
  8. If you want a hot dessert, eat it now. If you prefer a cold dessert, let it cool on the countertop for 1 hour and stick it in the fridge for 2 hours.

Coconut Milk Pudding-椰汁糕

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Coconut Milk PuddingAdapted from Christine’s Recipes

  • Prep time: 10 mins
  • Cook time: 10 mins + chilling time
Ingredients: Recipe for 5-6 servings.

  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 375 ml milk
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp gelatine powder
  • 1 egg white

Directions:

  1. Lightly whisk the egg white with a fork. Set aside.
  2. Use a deep pot, cook coconut milk, milk and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. You don’t need to bring it to a boil, just heat enough to help dissolve the sugar.
  3. Stir in the whisked egg white. Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the gelatine powder into the coconut milk mixture and stir to combine well. Make sure the gelatine powder is completely dissolved. Sift the mixture through a fine sieve. Pour into jelly moulds evenly. Chill in fridge for at least 3 hours, or until it’s set. Enjoy.