Steamed Kuih for Qing Ming Festival: Hee Pan(喜粄) & Ang Ku Kueh (红龟粿)

 

As Qing Ming approaches, many Chinese families prepare food offerings to honour their ancestors. Among these, traditional steamed kuih like Hee Pan (喜粄) and Ang Ku Kueh (红龟粿) are commonly seen on the altar.

In ancient times, Chinese tends to steam kuih or dessert. This is definitely due to the fact that  steaming was one of the most common cooking methods in Chinese households. This was influenced by the rice-based diet, the widespread use of bamboo steamers, and a preference for soft, moist textures over baked or dry foods.

Because of this, steamed kuih gradually became more than just everyday food. They grew into meaningful offerings, deeply rooted in Chinese tradition.

Today, steamed kuih are often prepared during Qing Ming not just for their taste, but for the symbolism they carry. Steamed kuih are especially meaningful because the steaming process represents rising fortune and growth. Their soft texture also carries the wish for a smooth and harmonious life.

Why Make These Kuih Together?

Both Hee Pan and Ang Ku Kueh share very similar ingredients, which makes it convenient to prepare them together. The main difference is that Hee Pan requires a short proofing time, while Ang Ku Kueh does not. So while the Ang Ku Kueh are steaming, you can let the Hee Pan dough proof at the same time. Making the whole process more efficient. They also have relatively short steaming times, which is especially helpful when you’re preparing multiple dishes for Qing Ming.

In this recipe, I used pumpkin and purple sweet potato for natural colour and sweetness. No artificial colouring needed.

Hee Pan (喜粄)  is soft and symbolic. It is also a traditional Hakka steamed rice cake. The word “喜” means happiness, making it a meaningful offering for auspicious occasions. Compared to Ang Ku Kueh, Hee Pan has a softer, fluffier texture with a light chew.

So, soft and chewy kuih like Hee Pan and Ang Ku Kueh represent a smooth and harmonious journey in life.

I’ve shared a detailed Ang Ku Kueh (红龟粿) recipe in a previous post, so I’ll keep it brief here. You can check out my full guide from Red Tortoise cake (Ang Ku Kueh) in my earlier post.

For this blog, I’ll focus more on Hee Pan, which is equally meaningful but sometimes less talked about.

Full written steps, tips and exace measurements are below. Keep scrolling!!

INGREDIENTS

Purple Sweet Potato Flavor

100g purple sweet potatoes

130g plain flour (sifted)

130g glutinous rice flour (sifted)

1 tsp yeast

120g sugar

150ml water

3 tbsp oil

Some banana leaves

 

Pumpkin Flovor

100g pumpkin

100g plain flour (sifted)

50g glutinous rice flour (sifted)

1 tsp yeast

50g sugar

50ml water

10g oil

Some  banana leaves

 

Tips for Making Hee Pan

Just a few small things to take note of while making the dough:

A)Pumpkin dough can be quite moist

Pumpkin naturally contains more moisture, so don’t pour in all the water at once—add it slowly and adjust as you go. If the dough turns out too sticky to handle, just add a little glutinous rice flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until it feels soft and manageable.

B)Make the purple sweet potato extra smooth

After mixing the purple sweet potato with water, I like to sieve it to remove any lumps. It makes a big difference in giving the dough a smoother texture.

C)Purple sweet potato dough is usually drier

Unlike pumpkin, purple sweet potato tends to be a bit dry, so don’t be surprised if you need to add a little more water than the recipe suggests. Just go slowly until the dough comes together nicely.

D) Lightly oil your hands before shaping

This step really helps! The dough can be quite sticky because of the glutinous rice flour, so applying a little oil to your palms makes it much easier to shape into smooth, round pieces without the dough sticking to your fingers.

 

METHOD

Purple Sweet Potato Flavor

1.  Steamed and mashed sweet potato into puree.

2.  Add sugar to the mashed sweet potatoes, mix well.

3.  Add water to it, mix well again.  Sieve it to remove lumps then add1 teaspoon of yeast and mix well.

4.  Wipe clean the banana leaves, cut them into 3 to 3 1/2" round size, and set them aside

5.  Combine and sift the plain flour  and glutinous rice flour, mix well.

6.  Add the sweet potato mixture (step 3) to knead into a dough. (please refer the tips)

7.  Spread some oil on the banana leaves as well as your hand palm.  Round the dough on the palm of your hand then put the banana leaves.

8.  Proffing process – Combine hot water and cool water in a wok with the gas stove off.  (The water ratio is 1 :1) Put the shaped sweet potato dough into the bamboo steamer and let it proof in the wok for 30 minutes.

9.  Steaming process – Steam on high heat for 12 minutes.

10. After 12 minutes, turn off the heat, and open the lid to ventilate for about 2 minutes.

11. Remove from the gas stove and  enjoy it while it is hot for the best taste.

 

METHOD

Pumpkin Flavor

1.  Steamed and mashed pumpkin into puree.

2.  Add sugar to pumpkin puree, mix well, set aside, and let it cool.

3.  Add 1 teaspoon of yeast after cooling the pumpkin puree.

4.  Wipe clean the banana leaves, cut them into 3 to 3 1/2"  round size, and set them aside

5.  Combine and sift the plain flour  and glutinous rice flour, mix well.

6.  Add pumpkin puree and  water to knead into a dough. (please refer the tips)

7.  Spread some oil on the banana leaves as well as your hand palm.  Round the dough on the palm of your hand then put the banana leaves.

8.  Proffing process – Combine hot water and cool water in a wok with the gas stove off.  (The water ratio is 1 :1) Put the shaped pumpkoin dough into the bamboo steamer and let it proof in the wok for 30 minutes.

9.  Steaming process – Steam on high heat for 12 minutes.

10. After 12 minutes, turn off the heat, and open the lid to ventilate for about 2 minutes.

11. Remove from the gas stove and  enjoy it while it is hot for the best taste.