Mung Bean Cakes （绿豆糕）

Mung beans, members of the legume family native to the East Asian, Indian, and Southeast Asian subcontinents, have recently established their new home in the western food market. The legume has been touted for its high nutritional content, priding in plentiful measures of protein, fiber, phenolic acids, and flavonoids-- many of which are professed to reduce risk for stroke and even cancer.

Despite being a new face in the western food market, mung beans have always been a traditional staple in my pantry. Every fall, I would imbue the green, gleaming beads into a pot of bubbling water, toss in a handful of sugar cubes, and at long last, ladle the nebulous, aromatic soup into my bowl, awaiting to quench my thirst. 

Mung bean cakes are crumbly and delicate in nature, though depending on personal preferences, they could undertake a more or less dried-out structure. What I believe is great about mung bean cakes is the forenamed nutritional benefits flaunting in each and every bite of the delicacy, not to mention the light, gentle sweetness from both the sugar and the legumes themselves! Moreover, the preparation process is relatively simple-- no baking required! The cakes' structure is based off the mung beans, of which are cooked and mixed with soymilk to form a dough, thus so long as you cook the beans through beforehand, no oven is necessary!

In this vegan recipe, I chose to use coconut oil to compliment the subtle sweetness of the beans and the added sugar; however, note that the aromas of coconut oil will most definitely mask the natural, unrefined flavors of the mung beans. Personally, I enjoy such twofoldness of sugar-coconut aromas, but you can substitute the oil component with other forms of fat (including butter if you're not taking the vegan route!)

I also incorporated matcha powder into the dough, primarily for the color, but also for a deeper, more refreshing undertone for half of the dough. Through this, I was able whip up two different flavors in one!

And last but certainly not least, you will want a mooncake mold! Mooncake molds are surely an investment; however, if you can't get your hands on one, you can still roll the dough into a flattened pancake shape and place in the fridge to solidify-- the taste will still be there! Just in a different form!

Recipe

Cuisine: Asian 

Servings: 18 cakes
Level: Easy

Prep time: 20 min 

Cook time: 40 min 

Total time: 60 min 

Ingredients

• 3 cups split mung beans, soaked for at least 6 hours (I used split yellow mung beans, but you can use green and/or whole ones, too! They will just have a different color and thicker texture) 
• 1/3 cups soymilk 
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 3 tablespoons solidified coconut oil 
• 1/2 tablespoon dried osmanthus flower leaves
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder (optional: for flavor and color) 

Instructions

1. Place mung beans on a steamer for 30 minutes. You can also place in a large saucepot, adding water to just submerge the beans, and boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. 
2. Transfer mung beans into a blender/food processor. Slowly add soymilk until beans are just wet enough to become mixed into a dough-like consistency. The batter should be sticky and pliable.* 
3. Transfer the mixture into a large, non-stick pan. Add sugar, coconut oil, and osmanthus flowers to the mung bean dough in the pan. 
4. Turn heat on LOW or lowest possible setting on stove. Begin to stir the dough, ensuring that the coconut oil and sugar are fully incorporated. This process will take around 15-20 minutes. Strong signs that your dough is ready include a coalescing of the dough into a single mass, a considerably more difficult dough to stir around, and most of all, a non-sticky dough! If you run your finger on the dough, little to none of the dough should stick to your finger. Don't freak out about crumbs-- they can be compacted into the dough once rolled. 
5. Transfer the dough into a container and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or when dough has cooled down fully. 
6. Prepare your mooncake molds by greasing them. Take dough out of fridge. Split dough in half, one half reserved for the matcha coloring. With the first half of the dough, roll into ~1 1/2 inch balls. 
7. With the second half of the dough, add matcha powder and knead the dough until fully incorporated. Then, like with the first half of the dough, roll into ~1 1/2 inch balls. 
8. Place balls in mooncake molds and press firmly. 
9. Place mung bean cakes into fridge to cool again for 1-2 hours, or serve immediately (if you're impatient). Enjoy!

Notes:

*the purpose of adding soymilk is not only for the extra punch of flavor, but also for facilitating the blending process as mung beans are difficult to pulse without a liquid. The amount of soymilk you add is dependent on how much moisture your mung beans have retained through the steaming process.

Link(s):

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295689151_Bioactive_compounds_and_antioxidant_activity_of_mung_bean_Vigna_radiata_L_soybean_Glycine_max_L_and_black_bean_Phaseolus_vulgaris_L_during_the_germination_process