Steamed Rice Flour and Mung Bean Cake with Coconut Sauce

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This is the recipe making Steamed Rice Flour and Mung Bean Cakes with Coconut Sauce also called Banh Goi in Vietnamese

11/2 cups (200 g) rice flour
11/3 cups (250 g) sugar
21/2 cups (625 ml) pandanus juice, or 1 teaspoon pandanus essence mixed with 21/2 cups (625 ml) water
2/3 cup (150 g) dried yellow mung beans, soaked in water overnight to soften
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
15 banana leaf pieces (each 8 x 6 in/ 20 x 15 cm), soaked in hot water to soften, for wrapping
2 tablespoons oil, for greasing the banana leaves
Toothpicks, for fastening
11/2 cups (375 ml) thick coconut milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds

Steamed Rice Flour and Mung Bean Cakes with Coconut Sauce
Steamed Rice Flour and Mung Bean Cakes with Coconut Sauce

1 Combine the rice flour, % cup (130 g) of the sugar and 2 cups (500 ml) of the pandanus juice in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a paste, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2 Heat the soaked mung beans, remaining sugar and vanilla essence in a saucepan or small pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a similar consistency as the rice flour paste, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Wet your hands and roll the mung bean paste into 15 small
balls. Set aside.

3 Lightly grease a piece of the banana leaf with a little oil. Spread 1 tablespoon of the rice flour paste in the middle of the leaf and place a mung bean ball on top, then cover the mung bean ball with more rice flour paste. Fold one of the longer ends of the banana leaf over the filling, then the other longer side over it tightly. Tuck both sides of the leaf underneath and secure the packet with toothpicks. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Steam the rice cakes for about 20 minutes until cooked.

4 Heat the remaining pandanus juice, coconut milk, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving bowl.

5 To serve, unwrap the rice cakes. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and spread the coconut sauce over them.
Makes 15 cakes Preparation time: 30 mins Cooking time: 40 mins