No-Bake Mung Bean Mooncakes with Lotus Paste & Melon Seeds （免烤绿豆莲蓉月饼）

-



Mooncakes are a traditional treat enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but they don't always have to be baked! These No-Bake Mung Bean Mooncakes are soft, delicate, and surprisingly easy to make at home.

The outer layer is made with split mung beans, butter and honey, creating a smooth, soft and slightly creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Inside, I used less-sugar lotus paste mixed with roasted melon seeds for a delicious filling with a little nutty crunch.

Using a mooncake mould gives these little treats their beautiful traditional pattern, making them perfect for the Mid-Autumn Festival or simply as a homemade dessert to enjoy with a cup of Chinese tea.

Best of all, there's no oven required!

Mooncake Mould

I used a 50g mooncake mould with four different cherry blossom patterns to shape these mooncakes. I love that I can make four different designs using the same recipe!

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

 



INREDIENTS

Mung Bean Skin (12 pieces)

160g split mung beans, skin removed

65g butter

65g honey

½ tsp salt

25–30ml water, or as needed to adjust the consistency

Lotus Paste & Melon Seed Filling (12 pieces)

200g less-sugar lotus paste

40g roasted melon seeds

Note: The amount of filling can be adjusted according to your preferred skin-to-filling ratio and the size of your mooncake mould.

METHOD 

1. Prepare the mung beans

Rinse the split mung beans and soak them in water until softened.

Drain the soaked mung beans and steam them until they are completely soft and tender. The mung beans should be easy to mash between your fingers.

2. Blend the mung beans

Blend the steamed mung beans until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender or food processor. If the mixture is too thick to blend easily, add the water gradually until you reach a smooth consistency.

Try not to add too much water at once. The amount needed may vary depending on how much moisture the steamed mung beans contain.

3. Cook the mung bean paste

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan. Add in the blended mung bean, stirring until the blended mung bean absorbs all the melted butter.  Add the honey and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and forms a soft, pliable dough. Add water gradually if needed. Transfer to a silicone mat and gently knead until smooth.The mung bean dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. 

4. Prepare the filling

Combine the less-sugar lotus paste with the roasted melon seeds and mix well. Divide the filling into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.

5. Divide the mung bean dough

Divide the mung bean dough into 12 portions of 30g each. Roll each portion into a smooth ball.

6. Assemble the mooncakes

Flatten one portion of mung bean dough gently with your palm.

Place a portion of the lotus paste and melon seed filling in the centre. Carefully wrap the mung bean dough around the filling and pinch the edges together to seal.Roll gently into a smooth ball.Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

7. Shape the mooncakes

Lightly grease or dust your 50g mooncake mould if necessary. Place one filled mung bean ball into the mould. Press firmly onto a flat surface, then gently release the mooncake.Repeat with the remaining portions.

8. Chill before serving

Place the finished mung bean mooncakes in an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled. They will firm up slightly after chilling and are best enjoyed cold or after sitting at room temperature for a few minutes.

Tips for Making Mung Bean Mooncakes

1. Adjust the water gradually. Different batches of mung beans may absorb different amounts of water.

2. Cook the mung bean mixture over low heat to prevent it from drying out too quickly or sticking to the pan.

3. The final mung bean dough should be smooth, soft and easy to shape. If it feels too dry, add a little water. If it is too soft or sticky, continue cooking gently until it firms up.

4. Using less-sugar lotus paste helps balance the sweetness, as the mung bean skin already contains honey.

5. Roasted melon seeds add a lovely aroma and a little crunch to the smooth lotus paste.

6. Keep the mooncakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

These no-bake mung bean mooncakes are soft, delicate, and beautifully shaped with a traditional mooncake mould. With creamy mung bean skin and fragrant lotus paste and melon seed filling, they make a lovely homemade treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Enjoy them chilled with a cup of Chinese tea and share them with your family and friends!

Love this recipe? Click here to support my blog - Thank You!!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baked Cassava or Tapioca Cake （烤木薯糕）

-
Image
Cassava or tapioca cake can be prepared in several methods, including baking, steaming and wrapping in banana leaves. It can be made with or without eggs and with or without butter. Today, I am going to share how to bake cassava or tapioca cake. Tapioca cake is very easy to make, whether to steam or to bake. The only tedious part is grating. I used to grate them into fine silk manually. But now I blend them with Thermomix to paste form. If you are using a regular blender, add a little water to the blender to blend it together. This cassava cake has a beautiful burnt skin on top and dense golden color inside. My daughter thought it was burnt cheesecake. The texture is soft but firm and not too sticky compared to the steam type. Every bite taste of cassava, coconut milk and the burnt aroma. Not overly sweet and greasy. If using a blender, cut the tapioca into smaller chunks, then carefully cut out the tough, fibrous core from the middle of each piece using a knife.   Once the t...
Read more

Dong Po Rou （东坡肉）

-
Image
Dong Po Rou （东坡肉） – wine braised pork belly. It’s rich and savoury, tender that melts into your mouth. Traditionally, the pork belly is pan-fried before being braised or stewed for one to one and a half hours on low heat. Some of the recipes even call for steaming for an additional half an hour after stewing. It is very time-consuming. But as you are aware, I enjoy making recipes simpler without compromising the taste. You, too, I'm sure. Therefore, I skipped the pan-frying step and proceeded directly to braising the pork after blanching it, and then continued to cook with a pressure cooker. Don't worry; the dish's flavour remains unaffected. I'm hoping this simplified method may come in handy for your regular cooking. Trim off the edges of the pork and cut it into 3x3 cubes. Tie cooking twine around each cube. This will assist the cubes in keeping their form while cooking. If the pork that you bought is at the mid portion of the belly is ideal, there is a nice bala...
Read more

Canned braised pork belly (罐头扣肉）

-
Image
A must-have dish for the Lunar New Year is steamed braised pork ( 扣肉 ). Some people enjoy making braised pork with yam, while others prefer to use preserved veggies. The key to making braised pork is to boil the meat first, then deep-fry it, and finally steam it. The sauces are the key to enhancing the flavor of the braised pork with either yam or preserved veggies. Of course, choosing pork that is half-fat and lean pork belly tastes the best is also crucial.   You can choose how thinly you want the pork slices. I sliced my pork to a thinness of 10 to 15 mm thinness.  Another crucial tip is to just use wine and no water when preparing the braised pork. I'm using Shaoxing wine, and it's been proven that the more wine you use, the tastier and more fragrant the meat will be and that the meat will remain fragrant after stewing. As I mentioned, this braised pork needs to boil first, then be deep-fried.  For those who find frying meat is very troublesome , you can wash, cut...
Read more