← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 250 g Split, skinned mung beans, soaked for 2 hours
• 120 g Sugar
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 Pandan leaves, knotted
• 100 g orange sweet potato, steamed and mashed
• 250 g Glutinous rice flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 180 ml hot water
• red food colouring (or beetroot juice)
• banana leaf squares, oiled

Method

1. For the filling, steam the soaked beans with the pandan for 25 min until very soft. Mash or blend smooth, then cook in a non-stick pan with the sugar, oil and salt over low heat for 10 min, stirring, until it forms a thick paste. Cool and roll into 12 balls.
2. For the skin, mix the mashed sweet potato, flour and sugar. Add the hot water, oil and colouring gradually and knead into a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough. Divide into 12.
3. Flatten each piece of dough, wrap it around a ball of filling and pinch closed. Dust a tortoise mould with flour, press the ball in firmly, then knock it out onto a banana leaf square.
4. Steam over medium-low heat for 8–10 min (low heat keeps the pattern sharp). Brush lightly with oil as soon as they come out so they stay glossy and soft.
5. Cool before eating; they are best the same day.

Tips

• Lift the steamer lid briefly every few minutes, or wrap it in a cloth, so condensation does not blur the tortoise pattern.
• No mould? Shape plain flat rounds; they taste the same. Peanut and sesame fillings are popular too.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

What To Cook Today The Meatmen