Something fanciful which will makes some wondering what it this? I've seen these every time when I go to Thailand but never cross my mind to taste it. Always have an impression that it's some form of extremely sweet candies which will glue to my teeth after biting it. So I always gave it a miss.
Only when I've owned the book 'Tasty Thai' by Jamie Jong did I realised that it's made of Mung Beans aka Split Green beans. It's a pretty easy recipe but what is required most is your delicate touch to every single piece. Can be quite tedious moulding and painting the candies but if you've experiences with clays moulding or fondant moulding, this should be a breeze.
Recipe adapted and modified from "Tasty Thai" by Jamie Jong
Ingredients for Bean Paste
300g Mung Beans aka Split green beans (washed and soaked over night or at least 1 hr)
150g Thick Coconut milk
120gm Sugar (I reduced to 100gm)
3 blades Pandan leaves (cut into short sections)
About 1 cup water
Food colourings
Ingredients for Agar agar mixture
10gm Agar agar powder
400ml Water
2 blades Pandan leaves (knotted)
- Place Pandan leaves on a stainless steel plate or steaming tray. Place the soaked mung beans over the pandan leaves and add adequate water just sufficient to cover the beans. Steam over high heat for 30 mins, or until the beans is cooked. Remove pandan leaves and set aside to cool
- When the beans are almost cooled, place in a blender with 100g of coconut milk and blend till a smooth paste.
- Transfer paste into a wok, add sugar and the remaining 50g of coconut milk, stir cook over low heat until the paste forms a soft dough (Paste should not stick to wok). Set aside to cool completely before moulding.
- Take small amount of bean paste and roll into a round ball before moulding into desired fruit shapes. Insert a toothpick at one end of the shaped fruit and stick onto a Styrofoam board.
- Use a soft painting brush and brush shaped fruit with desired colors (diluted with water). Stick the shaped fruit back onto the styrofoam board and let the colors dry
- Combine agar agar powder, water and pandan leaves and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Boil for about 5 minutes, turn of heat and discard pandan leaves.
- Dip coloured fruit into agar agar mixture, stick back onto styrofoam board and leave it to set. Dip it again and leave it to set.
- Remove fruit from toothpick, decorate with leaves and stems (optional)
