Read through many posts on AKK recipes/method/steaming procedures that varies. The only similarity is that all are edible. But, what I'm looking for is the kind of AKK that stays soft and chewy for at least 2-3 days, that does not turn slimy [especially the base].
Because of this, I have been making AKK more often, made possible because it's Qing Ming Festival and angku kuihs are needed for pai pai [prayers]. Hopefully I can find a recipe/method that can result in this kind of AKK. Was thinking, maybe this kind can only be achieved with preservative added which we never know as most claimed that their AKKs are without preservative yet can stay good for days.
However, with this recipe, I managed to find them comes close to my expectations. This AKK is very soft and chewy. I made them around 3 pm and around 2 pm the next day after pai-pai, they stay fresh, soft and chewy. All were finished by then but I kept a piece to see what will happen to it after another 24 hours. Hahaha!, I'm very happy, it is still soft and chewy. I think that's good enough. Thanks to Ann Low of Anncoo Journal for this lovely AKK recipe.  |
| Array of AKK with homemade Nyonya Huat Kuih [see next post] for Pai-pai [Qing Ming prayers] |
You can try with any colour sweet potatoes of your choice. I doubled the portion of Anncoo's recipe as I needed to make more. The portion of mung bean paste is just enough for this portion using this mould. Skin dough weighs 45 gm each and paste filling is about 20 gm.
Ingredients for Skin Dough [TotalWeight - 600 gm]
[makes 18-20 pieces - 2" x 2 1/2" AKK mould]
250 gm glutinous rice flour
180 gm sweet potato paste [orange sweet potatoes] - peeled
some orange [AKK] colouring - optional
160-200 ml pandan water [*]
[*] Boil a few blades of pandan leaves with 500 ml water
until it's reduced to about 200 ml
- Cut sweet potatoes into chunks and steam for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Mash into a fine paste.
- Place glutinous rice, sugar and oil in a cake mixer [with paddle hook] or in a mixing bowl, add in the sweet potato paste. Knead to combine ingredients then gradually add in the pandan water [you may need less depending on the sweet potato which could be wet].
- Knead until smooth [should leave the bowl clean] and the dough is not sticky or too wet [add more glutinous rice flour if it is too wet]. Cover to rest for about 30 minutes before shaping AKK or you can transfer the dough to a plastic bag, tied up and leave to rest in the fridge for several hours or overnight [this is to allow the flour to absorb the liquid well].
- Divide dough into equal portions according to the size of your AKK mould. Roll into balls.
- Flatten dough in your palm and wrap up mung bean filling. Dust the AKK mould with some glutinous rice flour and your hands to prevent sticking.
- Mould AKK and knock out into a piece of greased banana leaf. Place AKK in steaming tray.
- Steam over high heat for 5-7 minutes, uncover the steamer and continue to steam for 6-7 minutes [this is to prevent the AKK design from disappearing].
- Remove from steamer to cool on wire rack and immediately brush with vegetable oil to give it a sheen and prevent sticking.
New AKK mould which I bought, just dust with
flour before moulding AKK
Mung Bean Paste Filling - Total Weight - 400 gm
Ingredients
150 gm mung beans
80 gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
2-3 pandan leaves
- Soak mung bean overnight and steam with pandan leaves for 35-40 minutes until soften.
- Blend immediately into a fine, soft and smooth paste [I used the cake mixer to mix the mung beans ingredients together]. The paste can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerate until required.
- Set aside to cool.
This is a second recipe which I used to make more purple sweet potato angku kuihs for a family gathering at a health centre. About 100 senior citizens and their family members will be there each month for the food, fun and singing. Usually it is potluck style and there are always ample food shared. With a wide choice of food, I thought it would be good idea to make small cute little angku kuihs so that more people would try it since it is only one bite size piece and won't be too filling.
Many of them were tempted to try these little angku kuihs which weren't enough for the crowd as this recipe only makes about 50 pieces.
For this recipe, the ratio of sweet potato to glutinous rice flour is more than my first recipe [Purple Sweet Potato Angku Kuih#1]. The difference is the colour tone, it is a more vibrant purple colour than the first one which uses less sweet potato with the portion of glutinous rice flour. Taste and texture is about the same as I used the same method. However, I'm not too pleased with the print which is not distinct probably because of the mould and the angku skin in thin. Another point which I would like to share here is - Angku kuihs using sweet potatoes don't keep long. They stay soft for 2-3 days but by the second day, the kuihs aren't that fresh and the colour does change a little. This fact was confirmed by a very experienced Angku kuih seller who has been making this kuih for several decades. She prefers to use colouring if she intends to keep the kuihs for longer time. She doesn't use preservatives. I think the weather does affect too. During this hot spell, it is better to finish eating the kuihs asap.
Recipe Source - Yum Yum Magazine No. 77 - method slightly modified
Ingredients - Mung Bean Filling
150 gm mung beans
80 gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
- Soak mung bean overnight and steam for 35-40 minutes until soften.
- Blend immediately into a fine paste.
- Heat a wok and fry paste with sugar, salt and oil. If it is too dry, add in some water during the frying process. Once the filling can be bind into a ball, then it is ready. The paste can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerate until required.
- Set aside to cool.
Ingredients - Skin Dough [Weighs about 350 gm]
150 gm glutinous rice flour
100 gm purple sweet potato [steamed and mashed]
100-120 ml hot boiling water [more or less, don't add all in one go]
2 tbsp sugar
- Mix all the ingredients [except the sweet potato] in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to stir so that the flour can absorb the water [you may need more or less water depending on the moisture of the sweet potato]. Add in the sweet potato. Bring dough together [at this stage the dough could be very sticky but it is alright.
- Then add in the oil eventhough the dough is lumpy. Bring the dough together and knead into a soft dough [I suggest you use a mixer with paddle hook to do the kneading as the dough is quite sticky and difficult to manage until you may be so tempted to add more flour].
- Wrap dough in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours or even overnight [this way the angku skin will be stay softer and chewy for 2-3 days].
Thaw and knead the dough again before use [if dough is dry add some water and if wet add some glutinous flour].
banana leaves [cut into number of pieces required - must be bigger than the cavity of the mould
Shaping the Kuih
- Divide dough into 50 equal portions [about the size of the kuih ee if using this mould] and roll it into a ball.
- Divide mung bean paste into 50 equal portions.
- With your thumb, make a hollow in the dough and shape it into a bowl [you may need to oil your palm to prevent sticking].
- Wrap filling in dough and seal the opening. Place the kuih into a greased mould and press it to set the shape [must grease the mould every now and then for wooden moulds].
- Knock out the kuih and place it on banana leaf.
- Arrange kuih in a steamer tray [allow some space in between the kuihs].
Steaming Angku Kuih
- Bring water to boil in a steamer. Place tray on the steamer, steam kuihs for 5 minutes over high heat [depends on individual stove].
- Remove lid and continue steaming for 6-7 minutes or until cooked.
- Notes: I used an electric steamer without preheating, steam kuihs for 10 minutes and open the lid several times during the steaming duration.
- Remove tray and brush surface of kuihs with oil [this allow the skin to absorb the oil while it's hot and give a shine to it].
- Remove kuih to cool on a wire rack [the print will be obvious when oil has been absorbed into the skin when it's cooled].
I'm sharing this post with Cook Your Books Event #9 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours
