Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Traditional Angku Kuih

Since the aunty told me about angku kuih using sweet potatoes does not keep long, I was so tempted to try making angku kuih again without using sweet potatoes or pumpkin etc to see how long it can keep well.  This is the recipe I obtained from the magazine which looks quite easy to follow.  However, I didn't follow exactly the method of kneading the skin dough but instead used my kitchen aid 'the cake mixer' to do the mixing  and kneading.  It was easy and I didn't worry about the hot water  and the dough sticking to my fingers.  The dough turned out to be good - soft and pliable - easy to handle.
For the mung bean paste, I followed the recipe of my previous Angku Kuih [see recipe here] and again this time, I used the cake mixer to beat the steamed mung beans while hot adding in the sugar and oil.  The paste was good, much, much easier.  But make sure the mung beans are not wet after steaming otherwise you will have to fry them over low heat to make into a paste that you can roll into a ball.
Recipe Source - Yum Yum Magazine No. 77  with some modifications
Angku Skin Ingredients A
35 gm rice flour
125 ml water
2 tbsp oil
Angku Skin Ingredients B
180 gm glutinous rice flour
50 ml water
2 tsp sugar [optional]
edible orange food colouring [angku colour either liquid or powder form]
Kneading the Angku Dough
  1. Put ingredients A into a saucepan, mix well.  Stir cook over low heat until soft dough is formed.
  2. Put glutinous rice flour in the mixing bowl [I used cake mixer], add in cooked ingredients A and pour in water and colouring.  Knead into a smooth dough using the paddle hook.
  3. Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 2 minutes, cover and rest for 5 minutes [repeat this kneading and resting for 3 times.  The dough should be moist and smooth and can be used to shape into angku.  [I followed my previous method whereby I kept the dough in plastic bag and leave in the fridge overnight before using.  This would allow the flour to absorb the liquid.  Thaw and knead the dough again before use].
Shaping the Angku Kuih
Banana leaf - cut into pieces slightly bigger than the angku mould
A little oil for greasing the banana leaf and brushing the kuih
  1. Divide dough into small parts [depending on size of angku mould] - mine is about 30 gm.  Shape into ball, flatten and wrap up some filling, about 30gm.  Form into a ball, press into a lightly greased angku mould and knock out.  Must greased the mould now and then to prevent sticking, not necessary if using plastic mould.
  2. Line with a piece of greased banana leaf.  Allow a gap in between the kuihs.
Steaming the Angku Kuih
  1. Heat up the steamer and the water must be boiling before steaming the kuihs over high heat for 5 minutes [once the angku expands, it is cooked ]. Remove the lid from the steamer and continue steaming for 6-7 minutes or until cooked.*
  2. Remove and brush with oil to prevent sticking to each other and also to get the sheen.  Cool kuih on a wire rack.
*Tips: Steaming the Angku uncovered for the last 6-7 minutes will prevent the patterns on the Angku from 'disappearing'.
Angku Filling - Mung Bean Paste
150 gm mung beans [green peas without skin] - washed, soaked for 4 hours and drained
80 gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1-2 pandan leaves - washed and knotted
  1. Put drained mung beans in a steaming tray with pandan leaves.  Steam for about 30-40 minutes or until soft.  Remove pandan leaves.
  2.  Blend into a paste while hot.  Transfer to a wok, add in sugar and oil.  Fry over low heat into a paste.  Dish out to cool before rolling into small balls [can prepare this a day earlier and refrigerate].  Add some water if the paste is too dry during the frying process.
Note: I transfered the steamed mung beans to the mixer and beat it with a paddle hook until a paste is formed.  Add in sugar and oil, continue beat into a paste.  Make sure the steamed mung beans are not wet otherwise, you may have to fry them in the wok over low heat until you get a moist dough that can be rolled into a ball.  The quantity shown in the photos is 3 times the recipe here.


I'm  linking this post to Cook Your Books Event #10 hosted by
 Joyce of Kitchen Flavours  
 photo 77951578-1914-4b72-8eda-9e40a91183ac_zps331eb4b4.jpg

12 comments:

  1. Kimmy, I love angku kuih and I have to say that it is probably my favourite traditional kuih. But it is so much work and I did learn from my aunty once. And that was the last time I made angku kuih hah...hah...Wish I could taste your angku kuih....

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice.. i love traditional recipes! now i shall ditch the rest

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Phong Hong, you have to learn from your aunty again. It's not that difficult to make it with the help of the mixer. To me, it is the oily utensils to clean up that I hope someone will do it for me, hehehe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Victoria Bakes, by sharing we learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wah! Akk again. They look yummy n beautiful. Personally, I still prefer sweet potato n glutinous rice dough because the kuih leave open still stays soft for many hours. Try this steaming method. Steam the akk in boiling water over med low heat. The print of the pattern will not disappear. Hope I am not gaypoh or gaykiang (假厉害)just want to share with you my experience lah! Have a nice week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Kimmy,
    My family love angku kuih. I have tried with different ingredients like sweet purple potato, orange potato and also pumpkin. I uses this recipe that you are using too, it is a good recipe.

    Love your angku and your angku mould. Is your angku mould the traditional type? Your angku comes out looking great!

    mui

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Kimmy,
    Angku is on my list to make for ages! Somehow never even come close to try making it yet!
    Yours looks wonderful. When I was young, I do not like eating angku, but as I get older, I began to appreciate and love eating this traditional kuih.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Veronica, thanks, I did as you said for my previous AKK. The aunty told me med or high heat is okay. The akk is cooked when it expands. I'm still experimenting various doughs and steaming method. I admire your AKK very much and would love to try asap.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Mui Mui, I admire your AKK very much and hope that my will turn out as well. I'll be trying them. Yes this is a very old AKK mould [many decades old] and I'm looking for a round shape AKK mould. I think it is nicer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Joyce, my mum used to make them when we were young but she hasn't been making them for ages. As it is getting expensive, it's advisable to make our own if possible.

    ReplyDelete
  11. May I ask what's the purpose of ricr flour?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Adeline, I don't know the exact reason but I have come across several AKK recipes that add rice flour too.

    ReplyDelete