SWEET POTATO LEMONGRASS TANG YUAN

This Winter Solstice, I made a daring change from the usual.  Instead of preparing the much use to colourful pulut rice balls in ginger sugar syrup [Kuih Ee], I cooked the glutinous rice balls in lemongrass/pandan sweet soup with orange sweet potatoes.

  I made the rice balls with only one colour [pandan green] instead of the colourful ones below.

It is lucky my mother in-law did not object and perhaps could not because she likes them with the sweet potatoes [her favourite tuber] and the not too sweet syrup soup.

 

Recipe adapted from Feminine Magazine No. 570

Ingredients

30 gm wheat starch mixed with 40 ml boiling water

120 ml pandan juice ** + 30 gm castor sugar

150 gm glutinous rice flour

1-2 tsp oil [I omit]

** extracted from blending 6 blades screwpine leaves with 120 ml water [keep excess if dough is too dry]. Add a drop of green colouring if prefered.

Sugar Syrup Soup

400 gm orange sweet potatoes - peeled, cut big cubes or diamond shape

2-3 stalks lemongrass

2-3 blades pandan leaves

100-120 gm sugar or rock sugar

5 bowls water 

1. Dissolve sugar in warm pandan juice.
2. Stir 40 ml hot water into wheat starch.  Mixed.
3. Add to glutinous rice flour, mixed then gradually add in the pandan liquid and oil.  Knead into a soft smooth dough.  Add a little more water if it is too dry.  Rest dough for at least 30-60 minutes before rolling into balls.
4. To make the syrup, boil pandan leaves with lemongrass until fragrant.  Add in sweet potatoes.  Continue to boil until soft, add sugar to taste.  Set aside.
5. Bring a pot of water to boil to cook rice balls.  Remove with a serrated ladle when the rice balls float up.  Transfer to sweet potato soup.
6. Serve warm or hot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

STEAMED PAUS - PALM SUGAR FILLING

My husband's friend gave him some palm sugar [gula melaka] from Melaka.  The palm sugar is not very sweet but is soft and easy to chopped into small pieces.

I used them to make these paus.  Fluffy paus with an easy gula melaka filling.  I believe this recipe is good for a novice in pau making. 

Ingredients

[makes 12 paus]

200 gm pau flour

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp double action baking powder

1/4 tsp white vinegar

1 tbsp golden syrup

100-120 ml water

1/2 tbsp shortening

Ingredients For Filling

50 gm palm sugar/gula melaka - chopped

some diced glazed cherries for decoration

1. For Skin - combine all ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl.  Gradually add in water/vinegar to mix into a rough dough [may not need to use all the water]. 
2. Add in shortening, continue to knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Shape into a round ball, leave in bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down, roll into a ball, then divide into 10 equal portions or more according to own preference.  Shape each portion into a ball.
4. Flatten each ball and wrap 1 tsp gula melaka filling, seal the edges well into a pleated or round pau.  Place on a piece of parchment paper in a steaming tray [I used my electric steamer].  Finish making the rest.
5. Cover and leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
6. Steaming over high heat for 10-12 minutes.
7. Off heat, remove to cool on wire rack before storing or serve immediately.
   
   
   

STEAMED PAUS - YAM FILLINGS

As I mentioned in my earlier posting on paus, really crazy over making paus these days.  Probably, discovered that it is not difficult so long as I don't expect the paus to be perfect/flawless in shape, texture and tastes.

This time is steamed paus with yam fillings.  I managed to get very good quality yam to make the paste.  The yam paste is not too sweet, smooth and nice.  The pau skin texture is  chewy, soft and fluffy.  Glad that I made these and can serve them for breakfast when I run short of bread.
Shared some with my neighbour [a widower and a stroke patient], staying with a son but most times alone in the house.  Hope he enjoys them.

Ingredients

[makes 10 paus]
250 gm pau flour
1 tbsp wheat germ [or wheat bran]

50 gm icing sugar

1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp double action baking powder
1/4 tsp white vinegar

150 ml water

20 gm shortening

Ingredients For Filling

200 gm yam puree

60 gm sugar to taste [add more if you like the paste sweet]

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp coconut powder

100 ml water

1 tbsp butter

1. For Filling - cut yam into thin slices and steam until soft, then mash while still hot.  Mix mashed yam and all remaining ingredients [except sugar and butter] in a mixing bowl.  Sieve through a wire mash to get a smooth paste.  Stir paste in a non stick pan together with sugar and  butter until the paste is thick and leaves the pan clean.  Cool and store in a container.  Chill in fridge  until required.
2. For Skin - combine flour, baking powder, wheat germ, sugar, yeast and vinegar in a mixing bowl.  Gradually add in water to mix into a rough dough [may not need to use all the water]. 
3. Add in shortening, continue to knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Shape into a round ball, leave in bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
4. Punch down, roll into a ball, then divide into 8, 10 or 12 equal portions according to own preference.  Shape each portion into a ball.
5. Flatten each ball and wrap enough filling, seal the edges well into a pleated or round pau.  Place on a piece of parchment paper in a steaming tray [I used my electric steamer].  Finish making the rest.
6. Cover and leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
7. Steaming over high heat for 10-12 minutes.
8. Off heat, remove to cool on wire rack before storing or serve immediately.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

STEAMED PAUS - PUMPKIN FILLINGS

Another easy to make and pliable pau skin dough recipe.  The dough is soft, smooth and pliable that is easy to pleat.  After steaming the pau skin is soft and fluffy.  The filling is smooth and not too sweet.  Lovely and nice home made paus.  Great, I could send some to my mum for her breakfast or afternoon snack.  She must be very happy.
I have made the paus in 2 different shapes, just for fun, hehehe!  No worries, just do what you like according to you own creativity.

Ingredients

[makes 10 paus]
250 gm pau flour
1 tbsp chia seeds

40 gm icing sugar

1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp double action baking powder
1/4 tsp white vinegar

150 ml water

20 gm shortening

Ingredients For Filling

200 gm pumpkin puree

50 gm sugar

1 tbsp butter

1. For Filling - steam cut pumpkin until soft, then mashed.  Mix mashed pumpkin and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Sieve through a wire mash to get a smooth paste.  Stir paste in a non stick pan together with butter until the paste is thick and leaves the pan clean.  Cool and store in a container.  Chill in fridge  until required.
2. For Skin - combine flour, baking powder, chia seeds, sugar, yeast and vinegar in a mixing bowl.  Gradually add in water to mix into a rough dough [may not need to use all the water]. 
3. Add in shortening, continue to knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Shape into a round ball, leave in bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
4. Punch down, roll into a ball, then divide into 8, 10 or 12 equal portions according to own preference.  Shape each portion into a ball.
5. Flatten each ball and wrap enough filling, seal the edges well into a pleated or round pau.  Place on a piece of parchment paper in a steaming tray [I used my electric steamer].  Finish making the rest.
6. Cover and leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
7. Steaming over high heat for 10-12 minutes.
8. Off heat, remove to cool on wire rack before storing or serve immediately.
   
   
   
   
   
   

STEAMED PAUS - PURPLE SWEET POTATO FILLINGS

Realised that yummy paus need not have to look good.  I was at the temple for 9 days for vegetarian meals and they served various types of paus daily [hundreds of them], all made in their own kitchen by helpers, some who have never made paus before.  Yet, the paus turned out to be yummy eventhough they don't look perfect.  The size and shapes are not flawless but the skin is soft and fluffy.

I told myself, should try their way, don't expect the paus to look flawless.  So long as the pau skin is soft and fluffy with any edible, tasty fillings, it should be awesome. The pau making craze came back and I have been using this pau skin dough recipe to make paus with various fillings from savoury to sweet [yambean dried prawns, peanuts/sesame, peanuts/sesame/meat floss/pumpkin/sweet potato etc].

These are good, though the shapes do not look attractive.  The filling is not too sweet and the sweet potato flavour is noticeable.  I am happy with them.  The pictures do not look good either because I made these paus on a gloomy afternoon.

Ingredients

[makes 10 paus]
250 gm pau flour
1 tbsp wheat bran [optional]

40 gm icing sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

120-150 ml water

20 gm shortening

Ingredients For Filling

200 gm purple sweet potato - steamed/mashed

50 gm sugar

200 ml water

1 tbsp butter

1. For Filling - mix mashed sweet potato, sugar and water in a mixing bowl.  Sieve through a wire mash to get a smooth paste.  Stir paste in a non stick pan together with butter until the paste is thick and leaves the pan clean.  Cool and store in a container.  Chill in fridge  until required.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. For Skin - combine flour, wheat bran, sugar, yeast in a mixing bowl.  Gradually add in water to mix into a rough dough [may not need to use all the water].  But I used more maybe because I added wheat bran.
3. Add in shortening, continue to knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Shape into a round ball, leave in bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
4. Punch down, roll into a ball, then divide into 8, 10 or 12 equal portions according to own preference.  Shape each portion into a ball.
5. Flatten each ball and wrap enough filling, seal the edges well into a pleated or round pau.  Place on a piece of parchment paper in a steaming tray [I used my electric steamer].  Finish making the rest.
6. Cover and leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
7. Steaming over high heat for 10-12 minutes.
8. Off heat, remove to cool on wire rack before storing or serve immediately.