How to Make Banh Bot Nep Hap (Steamed Glutinous Rice Balls with Mung Bean)
Sweets and drinksSteamed CakesVietnam4 to 5 hours soaking the mung beans, about 1 hour to make, 10 minutes steaming
Banh bot nep hap with mung bean and coconut milk suits an afternoon snack, with a chewy shell, a nutty filling and rich coconut milk. The tricky part is cooking down the filling, since even a slightly high flame scorches the beans.
Warmed coconut milk is what makes the dough for the shell pliable and smooth. The beans cook down over low heat until the mass pulls away from the pan, and only then does the shredded young coconut go in.
This batch weighs about 906g, at roughly 233 calories per 100g. Spoon over the coconut sauce and scatter roasted sesame seeds before serving.
Method
Soak 150 g split mung beans for 4 to 5 hours, rinse them and steam until soft. Blend the mung beans with 108 g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend until smooth.
Put the blended beans in a nonstick pan over low heat, and once they thicken slightly, add 100 ml coconut milk and keep cooking, holding the heat low so nothing scorches.
Stir until the mass comes together and pulls away from the pan, then turn off the heat and fold in the shredded young coconut. Let the filling cool a little, then roll it into balls.
Put 170 g glutinous rice flour, 30 g rice flour and 1/5 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, pour in 140 ml warm coconut milk slowly, then knead with gloves for 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and no longer sticky. Divide the dough, leaving one part white and coloring the rest as desired.
Take a piece of dough, roll it round and flatten it, place a ball of filling in the center and seal it into a round like a che troi nuoc dumpling.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and steam the plate of dumplings for 10 minutes.
For the coconut sauce, put 100 ml coconut milk, 50 ml cold water, 1/5 teaspoon salt and 45 g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in a pot and bring it to a gentle boil over low heat. Mix 1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch with 2 teaspoons cold water and pour it into the simmering pot, stirring as it goes so it does not clump.
Arrange the dumplings on a plate, spoon over the coconut sauce and finish with young coconut and roasted sesame seeds.
Tips
Warm the coconut milk for the dough, as that is what makes it pliable and easy to knead smooth.
Cook the filling over low heat with constant stirring, since a high flame scorches the beans on the base of the pan.
Seal the edges of the shell firmly so the filling does not show during steaming.
Stir the coconut sauce constantly as the tapioca slurry goes in so it does not clump.
Add the shredded young coconut only after the heat is off, since cooking it turns the strands tough and washes out their sweetness.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.