Ang ku kueh (red tortoise cakes with mung bean)
Soft, chewy red parcels of glutinous rice and sweet potato around a smooth, sweet mung bean filling.
- Time1 hr 30 plus soaking
- LevelHard
- Costabout £0.48 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Soak the mung beans in cold water for 2 hours, then drain. Steam for 25 minutes until soft enough to squash between your fingers.
25 min - 2
Mash the beans until smooth. Cook in a frying pan over a medium heat with the 100 g sugar and 1 tablespoon of oil for 8 minutes, stirring, until it forms a thick paste that leaves the pan clean. Cool, then roll into 12 balls.
8 min - 3
Mix the rice flour, mashed sweet potato, 1 tablespoon sugar and red food colouring. Add the warm water bit by bit and knead for 3 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Knead in 1 tablespoon oil.
- 4
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Flatten each, put a ball of filling in the middle and pinch closed. Roll smooth, then press gently into an oiled mould or flatten slightly and mark the top with the back of a fork.
- 5
Sit each cake on an oiled square of baking paper. Steam in batches over a rolling simmer for 8 minutes.
8 min - 6
Brush the hot cakes lightly with the last tablespoon of oil so they shine. Cool a little before eating.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
