How to Make Soft and Chewy Mung Bean Cookies from the Mekong Delta at Home

How to make Mung Bean Cookies

• 1

  Prepare mung beans and potatoes

  First, wash 150g of mung beans and soak them in water for 4 hours until soft.

  Next, peel 300g of potatoes, wash them clean, and cut them into small pieces.

  

  
• 2

  Cook and mash mung beans and potatoes

  Place a pot on the stove, add the soaked mung beans and just enough water to cover the beans. Then, cook the beans on low heat until they are soft and the water in the pot has evaporated.

  Next, transfer the beans to a bowl and mash until smooth.

  Do the same with the potatoes, steam them until soft, then mash until smooth.

  Tip: It’s best to mash the mung beans and potatoes while they are still hot, as the mixture will be easier to mash and smoother.

  

  
• 3

  Prepare the mung bean filling

  Place a pan on the stove, add 30ml of coconut milk, the mashed mung beans, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/4 tablespoon of salt.

  Stir the filling over low heat until the mung bean mixture in the pan is dry, sticky, and doesn’t stick to your hands when touched.

  Finally, add 30g of shredded young coconut to the mung bean mixture in the pan, mix once more, and turn off the heat.

  

  
• 4

  Mixing glutinous rice flour

  First, wash 4 pandan leaves clean, cut them into small pieces and put them into a blender, then blend the pandan leaves with 100ml of water, then strain the mixture through a sieve to extract the pandan juice.

  Next, put 400gr of glutinous rice flour, mashed potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, pandan juice, and 150ml of water into a bowl. Use your hands to knead the dough until it forms a smooth and pliable mass but still retains some moisture, slightly crumbly and not too sticky.

  Note:

  • Mixing the flour with potatoes will make the cake softer and less dry and hard when left outside for a long time.
  • Depending on the water absorption of the flour, adjust the amount of water needed.
  • It’s best to gradually add water to the flour to avoid making it too wet, which will result in a soggy dough.

  

  

  
• 5

  Wrapping the filling and pressing the mold

  Divide the dough and green bean filling into many parts in a ratio of 2:1, the dough will be twice the amount of filling. Use your hands to flatten the dough, place the green bean filling in the center, then gather and seal the edges of the dough.

  Next, coat the cake evenly with a layer of cooking oil and press firmly into the mold to shape it.

  Finally, place the cake on a round cut banana leaf to finish.

  Tip: If you don’t have a cookie mold, you can use another type of mold that has a half-spherical shape with similar grooves around it to shape the cake!

  

  

  

  
• 6

  Steaming the cake

  Arrange the cakes in the steamer, place the steamer over a pot of boiling water, then steam the cakes over medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes.

  Tip: When steaming, cover the steamer lid with a piece of cloth so that the steam does not condense on the lid and drip onto the cakes, making them soggy and unevenly chewy.

  After steaming, place the cakes on a tray to cool a bit and they can be enjoyed right away.

  

  

  
• 7

  Final Product

  Green bean cookies have a chewy, soft crust, lightly fragrant with pandan leaves, blended with rich, fatty green bean filling, extremely delicious.

  The cookies will look better if you use a little red food coloring to dot the center of the cookie’s peak.

  This type of cookie is not only delicious, deeply rooted in traditional Vietnamese pastries, but also very suitable for offering on the altar during important festive occasions.