Angku Kuih (Red Tortoise Cake)

Over the Thansgiving holidays, Siew Loon (the long-time contributor of Nyonya Food) came to visit me in Southern California. It was fun and we had a great time chatting about Nyonya food and heritage, not mentioning eating out and shopping to our heart’s content.

Please check out Siew Loon’s recipe for Angku, or literally red tortoise cake, which is an iconic Nyonya Kuih, especially in Penang.

Happy New Year to all the wondeful readers. The craving for good Nyonya Kuih has prompted me to make some Angku and Kuih Kochi over the New Year holidays.

It turned out so well that I thought I should share it with our Nyonya Food readers and maybe you can try making it for the coming Lunar New Year as Angku is widely used in Chinese prayers.

Angku is a small dark orange oval nyonya delicacy which is made with glutinous rice flour wrapped with green bean filling. Angku has a high ritual value and it is commonly used for Chinese prayers and served during baby full moon parties.

Angku has a sticky sweet texture but it is really nice if you eat it with a cup of Chinese tea. It’s even better overnight as you can pan-fry the leftover until the skin of the angku becomes golden brown.

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Angku Recipe

Angku Kuih (Red Tortoise Cake) Recipe | Easy Asian Recipes

Course Dessert

Cuisine Nyonya

Keyword Angku Kuih

Servings 4 people

Calories 402 kcal

Author Bee | Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

Green Bean Filling

• 300 g split green bean, washed and soaked for 6 hours
• 200 g fine sugar
• 4 tablespoons oil

Angku skin

• 1/8 teaspoon Wilton orange coloring
• 200 g wheat starch, Tung Mein Fun
• 150 g water
• 500 g boiling water
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 500 g glutinous rice flour
• 100 g mashed orange color sweet potato
• 250 g water
• 120 g cooking oil

To Make Angku

• 1 banana leaf, cut into rectangle to fit the angku mould
• 3 tablespoons oil

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Instructions

Green Bean Filling

1. Steam green bean over boiling water for 30-40 minutes till soft.
2. Blend or mashed green bean till become a paste.
3. In a wok, combine green bean paste, sugar and oil. Stir on low medium heat till thick and do not stick to your hands.
4. Cool it and shaped into 30 balls of about 20g. ( The size of filling will depend on the size of your mould).

Angku skin

1. Mix coloring, wheat starch and water. Stir till blended.
2. Add in boiling water and mix till smooth and become translucent.
3. Add in sugar, glutinous rice flour, sweet potatoes and water gradually. Knead till combined.
4. Slowly add in oil and keep on kneading till smooth and do not stick onto your hands.

To Make Angku

1. Lightly grease the cut banana leaves with oil.
2. Divide skin dough into 30 pieces. Flatten each dough into 1/4 inch thick and wrap the filling inside. Roll into a ball.
3. Lightly dust the Angku mould with glutinous rice flour. Press the dough ball into the mould and lightly knock it out.
4. Place Angku on the banana leaf.
5. Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes.
6. Brush the surface of the cooked Angku with oil to give it a glossy look.

Nutrition Facts

Angku Recipe

Amount Per Serving (4 people)

Calories 402 Calories from Fat 504

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 56g 86%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Sodium 31mg 1%

Potassium 337mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 216g 72%

Dietary Fiber 7g 28%

Sugars 65g

Protein 9g 18%

Vitamin A 81.3%

Vitamin C 11.8%

Calcium 7.2%

Iron 8.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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