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Bakpia
Mung bean pastries
Yogyakarta's little mung bean pastries
Nobody leaves Yogyakarta without a cardboard box of bakpia; the Pathuk neighbourhood, a short walk from Malioboro, is lined with family bakeries turning them out for visitors as oleh-oleh, the snacks Indonesians bring home from a trip. These are small, round and slightly puffed, with a thin, flaky skin that goes golden in spots and a smooth, lightly salted sweet mung bean centre. They came to Java with Chinese bakers (the name comes from Hokkien bak pia) and are eaten with sweet hot tea or a glass of kopi. Using too much filling is the usual problem; the skin should wrap it with no stretching. Chef's tip: cook the mung beans with a knotted pandan leaf for the classic fragrance, and keep the pastry balls under a damp cloth so the skins stay supple while you work.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
- 6 ½ oz peeled split mung beanssoaked for 2 hours
- 2 cups water
- 1 pandan leaf (optional)knotted
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp salt
For dough A
- 6 ½ oz plain flour
- ⅔ oz icing sugar
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 pinch salt
For dough B
- 3 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 ⅝ oz vegetable shortening
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Drain 6 ½ oz peeled split mung beans and simmer with 2 cups water and 1 pandan leaf for 20 minutes, until mushy. Remove the pandan and drain well.
22 minStep 2: Blend the beans with 3 ½ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp salt until smooth, then cook in a non-stick pan with 2 tbsp neutral oil over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring, until the paste is thick and rolls into a ball without sticking. Cool and roll into 10 balls of about 30 g.
30 minStep 3: Knead 6 ½ oz plain flour, ⅔ oz icing sugar, 1 pinch salt, 3 tbsp neutral oil and ¼ cup water together for 5–6 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Rub 1 ⅝ oz vegetable shortening into 3 ⅛ oz plain flour to make a short, soft paste. Divide dough A and dough B each into 10 balls.
Step 5: Flatten a ball of dough A in your palm, set a ball of dough B in the middle, close it up and pinch. Roll into an oval, roll up like a small carpet, roll out lengthways again and roll up again. Rest the coils under a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line a tray with baking paper.
Step 7: Press each coil into an 8 cm round, wrap it around a filling ball and seal the top. Set seam side down and press lightly into a thick, round puck about 6 cm wide.
12 minStep 8: Bake for 10 minutes, flip the bakpia over and bake for 8–10 minutes more, until golden in patches on both sides and gently puffed.
20 minStep 9: Cool on a rack before boxing. Bakpia keep for 4 days at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bakpia take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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