Tau Suan - Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free (豆爽, Lek Tau Suan, Split Mung Bean Dessert)
Making the sugar-free and gluten-free Tau Suan (豆爽, Lek Tau Suan, Split Mung Bean Dessert) in incredibly easy. Ingredients can be prepared in advance. This is a favourite among the locals as breakfast, tea break or dessert any time of the day.
Wash 200 g split mung beans under running water a few times until the water runs clear.
200 g split mung beans
Soak the mung beans fully covered in water over at least 4 hours or overnight. The mung beans will expand in volume overtime. Then drain thoroughly.
Spread the mung beans evenly on a steamer plate. Place cut 4 pandan leaves evenly among the beans.
4 pandan leaves
Steam over boiling water for about 20-30 minutes till cooked soft but not mushy. Turn off heat, discard pandan leaves and set aside till ready to make the Tau Suan. Note: make sure the steamed beans have completely cooled before covering it. If you are not cooking the Tau Suan on the same day, you can store the mung beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks until you are ready to cook it.
Add 6 cups water, 80 g Monk fruit golden sweetener (or palm sugar), 1/8 tsp salt, 10 pandan leaves to a pot. Bring the soup to boil over medium heat. Once boiled, reduce the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes to let the pandan leaves infuse its flavour into the soup.
6 cups water, 80 g Monk fruit golden sweetener, 10 pandan leaves, 1/8 tsp salt
Discard the pandan leaves. Adjust sweetness by adding more sweetener or sugar according to your taste preference. Note: you can set aside till ready to cook the Tau Suan.
To cook the Tau Suan, bring the sweet soup to simmer over medium heat. Then add the steamed mung beans and let it simmer for about 3 minutes.
Make potato starch slurry by mixing 5 tbsp potato starch with 5 tbsp water.
5 tbsp potato starch, 5 tbsp water
While stirring the sweet soup constantly over simmering heat, add potato starch slurry to thicken the soup.
Let it simmer for another 30 seconds while stirring constantly. Turn off heat.Note: do not overcook, otherwise the mung beans will become too soft and mushy and the thickened soup will become watery. If you see thick clouds of the slurry forming, it's ok, simply break the thickened slurry using a spoon and it'll break down eventually.