Red Bean Alkaline Dumplings

Original Recipe By Amy Beh

500g glutinous rice, rinsed and soaked for at least 4 hours

1¼ tsp alkaline water (kan sui)

Dried bamboo leaves, boiled till soft and wiped dry

Red bean paste filling

250g red beans, washed and soaked overnight

200g castor sugar

150ml oil

To prepare red bean paste

Comfort food: Have some chocolate cake and brewed coffee to wind down. – Filepic

Cook beans in a pot of water till soft. Drain off the liquid and blend or process the cooked beans to form a smooth paste.

Put the bean paste in a non-stick saucepan and cook until dry. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves, then add in oil. Stir slowly until the mixture turns into a smooth paste. Remove the paste and allow it to cool completely. Divide the red bean paste to make very small balls.

For the dumplings

Mix the glutinous rice with the alkaline water for about 15 minutes.

Take 2 bamboo leaves and fold into a cone. Put a tablespoon of rice in the cone and add a ball of red bean paste. Cover with more glutinous rice. Shape the cone well and secure with hempstring. Repeat the process to make more dumplings.

Boil the dumplings in rapidly boiling water for 3½-4 hours. Drain the dumplings well before serving.

Red Bean Talam Kuih

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

200g rice flour

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

1 Tbsp green bean flour (lok tau fun)

150ml water

100ml thick coconut milk

1/8 tsp rose pink colouring

Syrup

150ml water

125g castor sugar

½ tsp salt

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, green bean flour, water and thick coconut milk in a mixing bowl. Strain the batter to remove any lumps. Add colouring to mixture.

Put sugar, salt, water and screwpine leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and heat until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup into the batter to mix. Add 2 tablespoons of cooked red beans to the batter. Cook the batter over low heat for 1 minute.

Red Bean Layer

60g red beans, soaked for several hours

100g rice flour

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

100ml water

50ml thick coconut milk

Syrup

100g castor sugar

100ml water

1 tsp salt

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Pressure-cook the red beans until soft. Drain the beans and set aside.

Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, water and thick coconut milk in a mixing bowl.

Put sugar, salt, water and screwpine leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a simmering boil and heat ingredients until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup into the batter. Add remaining beans to mix. Cook the batter over a low heat for 1–2 minutes.

Lightly grease a 22cm square cake tin. Warm the tin in the steamer for 1–2 minutes. Pour in two-thirds of the pink batter and steam over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes. After the batter has set, add the red bean batter. Steam for 10-15 minutes. Add remaining pink batter and continue to steam for 30–40 minutes over medium-low heat until the kuih is firm. Remove and leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.