Adventures with Ang gu kueh

2 weekends ago, I came across an “Ang gu kueh” recipe and decided to try it. I used the Japanese type of sweet potatoes (purple skin, yellow flesh). I did not use any coloring and hence my Ang gu kueh is more “Ng gu kueh”, yellowish in color. Surprisingly on my first attempt, the skin came out very soft (remained soft while covered for 3 days) and tasted like those sold outside. I was impressed with myself and this recipe. The only thing I wished for was for it to be more fragrant. On my 2^nd attempt, I decided to add coconut milk (instead of only water) to the kueh hoping it will taste like Bangawang Solo’s. It was a big mistake. Despite substituting 80% of the water with coconut milk, the coconut fragrance was not distinct. The skin was not as soft and it became hard very soon (like when its cold!).

Please see below for 2 pictures, sans photoshop. The 1st picture was from my first attempt, without mould. 2^nd picture was from my second attempt, with an agar agar ang gu kueh mould.

1st attempt without mould

2nd attempt with mould

Hope you’ll try this easy recipe and let us know how your’s turned out!

Ang Gu Kueh

Ingredients: 22 small kuehs
Sweet Potato Skin:
260 g sweet potatoes 
300 g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsps oil
200 ml water (or slightly more. How to know if you used enough water? When in doubt, add more.)
Some red coloring (optional) (I did not use any)

Mung Bean Filling (for 22 kuehs):
200g yellow split mung beans (soaked until soft) (the one used to make “tao suan”)
80g castor sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsps oil
Water

OR

Ground Peanut Filing (for 22 kuehs):

200g of salted grounded peanuts

80g of sugar

Water

Method:

Sweet Potato Skin:
Steam the sweet potatoes until soft. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork. I also sieved it on my 1st attempt to obtain a smooth paste. On my 2nd attempt, i put it into a food mixer and blended it. Saved the hassle of mashing it. I also sieved it just to be sure its smooth. Add glutinous rice flour, oil and water and mix well to obtain a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave aside.

Mung Bean Filling:
Steam the yellow split mung beans until soft. Add in the sugar and mash with a fork. Mix salt,oil and enough water to form a soft dough. Shape into small balls. 

Ground Peanut Filling:

Ground any type of salted peanut you like. Mix in the sugar. Add water till it forms can be shaped into small balls. (doesn’t take much water)

Shaping the Ang gu kueh:
1. Brush the ang gu kueh mould with oil to ease removal of the kueh from the mould. (I used free hand to shape the kueh on my first attempt)
2. Take some dough, roll it, flatten it into a round shape
3. Take a mung bean or peanut ball and fill into the dough, seal it and roll it into a ball.
4. Press the ball into the mould firmly, to obtain the design and shape of the mould. Tap the mould gently on the table to remove the ang gu kueh from the mould. (If you are not using a mould, just shape it into a ball and gentle press it down in your palm to resemble an Ang gu kueh shape)
5. Place the ang gu kueh on a piece of oiled banana leaf slightly bigger than the kueh. Spread some oil all around the kueh.
6. Steam on high steam if you are not using the mould to shape the kueh. The skin will appear slightly translucent. If its soft when you poke it with something (I used the spoon), It’s done. I steamed it for 10 minutes just to be sure. 

7. Upon some research, I realized for moulded kuehs, you need to steam for 3 mins, open the cover to release the steam, then cover it again for 3 mins. This releasing of steam is to ensure the kueh doesn’t cook too fast. If the kueh expands too fast from the steam, it will lose some of the mould distinction. However, when I steamed the moulded kueh, I used medium heat. I did not open and close the steamer to release steam. Moulded kueh looks fine!

Notes:
1. I used about 30g pastry and 20g filling. 

2. Do not put the kueh too close to one another as they will expand when your steam them. If they stick together, gently separate them immediately after steaming. Yes, this happened to me!

3. Please add enough water to the mung bean dough before you try to shape it. Do not compress it too hard while shaping into a ball. If you press too hard, it will become very compact and hard when you bite into the kueh. Yes that was what happened to me too. Don’t do it.

4. I feel the peanut filling is easier to make and more hassle free. Plus, I prefer peanut to mung bean. But making mung bean paste from scratch gives one a sense of satisfaction. Try both filling!

If you are adventurous, create your own version of Ang gu kueh. 

That’s what I plan to do next.

Shared by Teh.