YAM ANGKU KUIH

This is the first time I came across this recipe in a cookbook. Yam is added into the mung bean filling and glutinous rice flour dough for Angku Kuih.

The AKK turned out very well. The kuih skin is soft and chewy [QQ] and the filling is good as the sweetness is just nice for me. 

My mum and brother in-law ate it and said it is nice.

I have made my AKK in 2 designs,  that is the usual tortoise design and peach design. Recently, I had ‘acquired’ the peach design mold from my MIL’s kitchen and put it to use here. I like the design and moulding the AKK is not difficult at all. I managed to make 12 pieces with the tortoise design and 6 pieces with the peach design from this recipe.

I had prepared the ingredients [filling and skin]  a day earlier and shaping them for steaming the next day. It is quick and easy.

Recipe adapted from a book ‘Pasar Malam Delights’ – slightly modified

Ingredients for Filling:

150 gm spilt green peas – soaked overnight, drained and steamed until soft [about 40 minutes]

150 gm castor sugar [I used 120 gm]

100 gm yam – steamed and mashed

2 tbsp oil

1. Filling – Put steamed green peas and oil into a blender and blend into a thick paste while still hot [you may need to do it in batches]. 
2. Transfer to a non-stick pan, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Stir ingredients over low heat until it is almost dry but moist. Off heat and leave to cool before shaping into small balls [depends on the size of mold used]. Chilled until required.
   
   
   
   

Ingredients for AKK Skin:

250 gm glutinous rice flour

3 tbsp coconut milk powder

100 ml blue pea flower water [soak 10 blue pea flower in hot water, strained and let it cool]#

100 gm yam, steamed and mashed

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp oil

# you can use water with a few drops of purple colouring

1 piece banana leaf – cut into small pieces according to the size of your AKK mold – lightly oiled

1. Mix all ingredients into a soft, smooth dough. Transfer to a plastic bag, tied up and leave to chill overnight in the fridge.
2. To Shape AKK - Before shaping, thaw dough to room temperature, then divide into small portions.
3. Shape into round and flatten it. Wrap up filling and shape with AKK mould.
4. Put onto greased banana leaves and steam over medium high heat for 10 minutes, lifting the cover halfway through the steaming time to release some hot steam [this helps to keep the design to stay after steaming].
5. Remove and brush with a little oil while it is still hot. Leave to cool on wire rack.
6. Store in air tight containers or best to serve soon.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Pumpkin Qin Jian Ban Angku Kuih

There are so many pumpkin angku kuih recipes which I love to try.  Finally, I started off with Cheah's recipe [here].

Done step by step, it isn't difficult at all. 
First - prepare the filling and refrigerate until required.
Second - prepare the pre-prepared skin dough and refrigerate until required.
Third - complete preparing the skin dough the with remaining ingredients and use right away or chill it for several hours in the fridge until required, then mould the AKK for steaming.
With the filling, I was able to make 14 pieces of Qin Jian Ban and 12 pieces of round AKK mould.  I doubled the portion of skin dough to make this quantity.  The number you can make depends on the size of your moulds.

Verdict - filling is tasty [savoury sweet] and the AKK skin is soft and chewy.  Nice natural yellow colour.

Ingredients for Filling [makes 14 pieces of Qin Jian Ban AKK and 12 round AKK]

150 gm split mung beans - soaked overnight 

80 gm granulated sugar 
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) 
2 tbsp oil 
4 small shallots - chopped

1. Rinse, drain and rinse the mung beans.  Place in a steaming tray, steam for about 30 minutes or till soft. While hot, blend them with about 3/4 cup of water till it forms into a paste or use the back of a cleaver to press the beans on a clean board.
2. In a non-stick pan, saute the shallots with the oil till fragrant, add in the mung bean paste, sugar and salt.  Fry till it leaves the sides of the pan. The taste of the paste is sweet enough for me.
3. Dish out and let cool. Cover with cling wrap and keep refrigerated till ready for use. 
4. Roll out into balls of 12 to 15 gm if using the Jin Qian Ban mould or 45 to 50 gm for the normal AKK mould.
   
    
    
    

Ingredients for 1 Portion of Dough 
 [double portion of this recipe makes 14 pcs of Qin Jian Ban AKK and 12 pieces round AKK]

Ingredients for Pre-prepared dough
150 gm glutinous rice flour
125 ml water 

1. Mix these two ingredients to form a dough, cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic container.

 

Remaining Ingredients for Dough
100 ml water [less water if mashed pumpkin is too wet]
2.1/4 tsp rice flour
2 tsp castor sugar
1 tbsp oil  
40 gm glutinous flour (add this sparingly, may not need the whole amount) 
100 gm mashed pumpkin [prepare this earlier by steaming] - make sure is not too wet, you may need more glutinous rice flour

Banana leaves, cut into bigger size than the moulds, greased with oil.

1. Mix water with the rice flour, sugar and oil. Mix till smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring to make a smooth paste. Leave to cool. 
2. Add rice flour paste to the mashed pumpkin and the 'pre-prepared dough' and mix well.
3. Gradually and sparingly add in the 40 gm glutinous rice flour.  Knead lightly till well mixed. Dough should be soft and moist but not sticky.   Cover and rest dough for about 30 minutes.
4. Weigh out dough accordingly, 12 to 15 gm for the mini kuih and 45 to 50 gm for normal size kuih.
   
    
    
    

Assembling the kuih

[for this step, can refer to my previous posts on AKK, here] 

1. Flatten the dough, wrap with the filling, shape into a ball and press into the lightly rice flour dusted moulds. Knock out the kuih and place onto a piece of greased banana leaf. 
2. Heat up a steamer and steam the kuih on medium heat, 3  minutes for Qin Jian Ban mould [mini kuih] or 6 minutes for normal size kuih or until cooked through. Using bamboo steamer, I steamed the kuih for 8 [Qin Jian Ban] and 10 [round AKK mould].
3. Remove from steamer and immediately brush the kuih with some oil. 
   
    
    
    
    
   
   Pumpkin Qin Jian Ban Angku Kuih
   
    
   
   Pumpkin Round Angku Kuih

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event: PUMPKIN) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Eileen (Eileen's Diary).

Also submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House. 

Orange Sweet Potato Angku Kuih

Read through many posts on AKK  recipes/method/steaming procedures that varies.  The only similarity  is that all are edible.  But, what I'm looking for is the kind of AKK that stays soft and chewy for  at least 2-3 days, that does not turn slimy [especially the base].

Because of this, I have been making AKK more often, made possible because it's Qing Ming Festival and angku kuihs are needed for pai pai [prayers].   Hopefully I can find a recipe/method that can result in this kind of AKK.  Was thinking, maybe this kind can only be achieved with preservative added which we never know as most claimed that their AKKs are without preservative yet can stay good for days.

However, with this recipe, I managed to find them comes close to my expectations.  This AKK is very soft and chewy.  I made them around 3 pm and around 2 pm the next day after pai-pai, they stay fresh, soft and chewy.  All were finished by then but I kept a piece to see what will happen to it after another 24 hours.  Hahaha!, I'm very happy, it is still soft and chewy.  I think that's good enough.  Thanks to Ann Low of Anncoo Journal for this lovely AKK recipe.

Array of AKK with homemade Nyonya Huat Kuih [see next post] for Pai-pai [Qing Ming prayers]

You can try with any colour sweet potatoes of your choice.  I doubled the portion of Anncoo's recipe as I needed to make more.  The portion of mung bean paste is just enough for this portion using this mould.   Skin dough weighs 45 gm each and paste filling is about 20 gm.

Recipe Source - Anncoo Journal [with slight modifications]

Ingredients for Skin Dough [TotalWeight - 600 gm]

[makes 18-20 pieces - 2" x 2 1/2" AKK mould]

250 gm glutinous rice flour

180 gm sweet potato paste [orange sweet potatoes] - peeled

1 tbsp sugar

40 ml vegetable oil

some orange [AKK] colouring - optional

160-200 ml pandan water [*]

[*] Boil a few blades of pandan leaves with 500 ml water

 until it's reduced to about 200 ml

1. Cut sweet potatoes into chunks and steam for 20-25 minutes or until soft.  Mash into a fine paste.
2. Place glutinous rice, sugar and oil in a cake mixer [with paddle hook] or in a mixing bowl, add in the sweet potato paste.   Knead to combine ingredients then gradually add in the pandan water [you may need less depending on the sweet potato which could be wet].
3. Knead until smooth [should leave the bowl clean] and the dough is not sticky or too wet [add more glutinous rice flour if it is too wet].   Cover to rest for about 30 minutes before shaping AKK or you can transfer the dough to a plastic bag, tied up and leave to rest in the fridge for several hours or overnight [this is to allow the flour to absorb the liquid well].
4. Divide dough into equal portions according to the size of your AKK mould.  Roll into balls.
5. Flatten dough in your palm and wrap up mung bean filling.  Dust the AKK mould with some glutinous rice flour and your hands to prevent sticking.
6. Mould AKK and knock out into a piece of greased banana leaf.  Place AKK in steaming tray.
7. Steam over high heat for 5-7 minutes, uncover the steamer and continue to steam for 6-7 minutes [this is to prevent the AKK design from disappearing].
8. Remove from steamer to cool on wire rack and immediately brush with vegetable oil to give it a sheen and prevent sticking.
   
   
   
   
   New AKK mould which I bought, just dust with
   flour before moulding AKK 
   
   
   
   

Mung Bean Paste Filling - Total Weight - 400 gm

Ingredients

150 gm mung beans

80 gm sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil
2-3 pandan leaves

1. Soak mung bean overnight and steam with pandan leaves for 35-40 minutes until soften.
2. Blend immediately into a fine, soft and smooth paste [I used the cake mixer to mix the mung beans ingredients together].  The paste can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerate until required.
3. Set aside to cool.