Our love journey: Split Mung Bean Sweet Soup (绿豆爽）Tau Suan

Me and tubby have been missing this dessert so much. It's very difficult to find this dessert here in KL. So, I decided to learn this recipe from ah mm. It's a thick starchy mung bean sweet soup, usually served with chinese breadstick/youtiao. Split mung bean is green bean without the skin. This recipe is very easy but it can be tricky as well especially when it comes to the choice of starch to use. Ideally the starch should either be water chestnut starch or sweet potato starch. However, potato starch and wheat starch can be used as well. Other starches, such as, corn flour and tapioca flour can also be used, however, it will turn watery once the dessert is cooled down after few hours.

Ingredients:
1) 1 cup of split mung bean
2) 1 litre water
3) 30g sweet potato starch (with about 60ml water)
4) White sugar (amount based on your sweet preference)
5) Pandan leaves

Steps:
1) Clean the split mung beans and soak in water overnight in fridge.

2) Transfer to a metal plate (with a clean cloth, optional) for steaming.

3) Steam the mung beans for about 30 minutes or until soft under high heat. Stir the mung beans in between steaming. Tips: Use a bigger bowl as mung beans will expand once soft.

4) In a separate pot, pour in water and add pandan leaves. Boil the water until there is fragrance of pandan leaves.

5) Add in the soft mung beans and sugar. Stir well until sugar melts.

6) Meanwhile, place about 60ml of water to 30g sweet potato starch, stir until well mixed. Tips: If it doesn't mix well, go through a sieve until smooth solution.

7) Once mung bean soup boils, add in the sweet potato starch solution slowly and gradually while stirring constantly until it reaches your desired starchy consistency. Tips: If you prefer more watery, add lesser starch solution. Constant stirring under high heat is necessary, otherwise, the starch will form some gluey substance settled at the bottom of the pot.