Bánh Su Sê (Vietnamese Wedding Cakes)

A translucent and elastic shell revealing a smooth, yellow mung bean heart. The texture is firm to the bite but melting inside, with the vegetal aroma of pandan.

• Prep time: 40 min
• Cook time: 30 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 451
• Protein: 7 g
• Carbs: 88 g
• Fat: 8 g

Ingredients

• 100 g mung beans ( soaked and peeled )
• 166.7 g Tapioca or Japanese pearls ( powdered )
• 133.3 g White sugar ( divided )
• 33.3 ml Coconut milk
• 266.7 ml Mineral water
• 2.7 piece pandan leaves ( chopped )
• 33.3 g Coconut meat ( finely grated )
• 0.7 tbsp Sesame seed optional ( toasted )
• 0.7 tbsp Sunflower oil ( for the molds )

Instructions

1. Preparing the filling

   Steam the mung beans until they crush easily between your fingers. Blend them with coconut milk and sugar until you get a smooth paste that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

2. Pandan extraction

   Blend the pandan leaves with mineral water then strain to get an intense green juice. This liquid should smell like freshly cut grass.

3. Cooking the dough

   Mix tapioca, sugar, and pandan juice in a pot. Heat over low flame, stirring constantly: the dough should thicken and become sticky, but remain opaque before assembly.

4. Assembly and steaming

   Oil small molds. Place a layer of tapioca dough, a ball of filling, then cover with more dough. Bring the steamer to a boil and cook until the dough becomes completely translucent.

Chef's tips

• The tapioca dough should only be pre-cooked in the pot; it will finish becoming translucent in the steamer.
• Use oiled plastic wrap to wrap the cakes while still warm to preserve their chewiness.

Storage

Store at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Do not refrigerate, as the tapioca will harden.