Lek Tau Suan
Dessert July 25th, 2007
Lek Tau Suan is hokkien word meaning “Green Bean Pearl”. Actually, the “green beans” are mung beans and they are purchased in split form minus the skin. This dessert is quite popular amongst the hokkien community and is usually eaten hot / warm with some thinly sliced yau char kueh (fried chinese crullers). I usually have 2 bowls in one go and yes, it is one of my favourite desserts.
This dessert is sweet whilst the yau char kueh adds a salty hint to the taste. Usually the softer yau char kueh is used as many people like it to absorb the dessert much like a sponge. Without the yau char kueh, somehow, it is not complete. If you can get your hands on all these ingredients, try this out on a weekend and impress your friends or family 
This is my mum’s recipe for Lek Tau Suan
Ingredients
- 200 grammes of split green / mung beans (soak for 15 minutes – if using rice cooker, soak for 30 minutes if steaming)
- 4 pandan leaves (washed and knotted)
- 200 grammes sugar
- 1 bowl potato starch (mix potato flour with water till you get a thick starchy solution)
- 2 litres water
Method
First, cook the split green beans by using rice cooker / steaming. If you are using the rice cooker, place beans in the cooker and add water till water has just covered the surface. Turn on the rice cooker and allow it to cook. If you are steaming the beans, drain water and steam it on a suitable plate for 20 minutes on high heat.
Meanwhile, cook sugar syrup by bringing to boil the 2 litres of water in a pot / sauce pan with the pandan leaves thrown in. Once water is boiling, add sugar and stir till sugar has fully melted.
After the beans have cooked, gently fluff them using a fork. Then, gradually stir in the potato starch into the sugar syrup to thicken the syrup till it becomes gluey. Take care to add potato starch in small amounts at a time and stir well to prevent lumpiness.
Once the syrup has thicken, add the beans, stir well and serve in dessert bowls with thinly sliced yau char kueh.
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July 25th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
hmm i like this too! coincidently i posted a bean tong shui today haha
July 25th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Pablo,
You got tagged liao.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Hey, how come the url didnt display …
http://www.kireisan.com/index.php/2007/07/25/linky-love-tag/
July 26th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I absolutely freaking love this – you made me think of home! *sniff* bawls
July 26th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
My mum cooked this once at home and according to them, it’s their old time favoutites.. but sadly hardly find this good dessert anymore..
July 26th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
babe_kl : It’ bean day! Interesting recipe you have
PlatinumGirl : Ya kah?
ParisB : Now you can cook it at home to bring home closer, eh?
Jackson : Hence, hopefully some of my readers would try this out so that the recipe will continue to be passed on
July 27th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Long time never eat tau suan….hmmmm…maybe I will try..:) qns: can I substitute potato starch with cornflour to thicken the mixture ? Don’t have potato starch leh!
July 27th, 2007 at 8:56 am
tigerfish : I am afraid that potato starch is more suitable. Corn starch does not “hold” the syrup (or even gravies) as well as potato starch. If you use corn starch, the syrup might become “watery” again after a while – especially when it cools down.
July 28th, 2007 at 4:08 am
okie, thks “sifu” !
August 1st, 2007 at 12:36 pm
urgh! I especially hate this tong sui. More like easting glue cos it is so gooey. *blueh*
October 23rd, 2007 at 3:52 am
I loooooooooooove this dessert! My mum adds a little bit of coconut milk before serving for extra flavour.
October 23rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
YogaJesss : Some unscrupulous hawkers do that. Ours is more “kau”
Lucy : Hmm…first time I’m hearing about adding coconut milk to it. It must be very fragrant indeed.