Look chup
Mung bean fruit sweets
ลูกชุบ · tiny mung-bean fruits painted and glazed in jelly
Once made in the palace kitchens of Ayutthaya, these miniature chillies, mangosteens and mangoes now fill gift boxes in Bangkok bakeries for weddings, merit-making and Mother's Day. The inside is a smooth, sweet paste of mung beans and coconut milk; the outside is a thin, shiny skin of jelly, so each one tastes a little like marzipan in a glass coat. Making them is an afternoon project best shared. Chef's tip: a paste that is too wet won't hold a shape and slides off the stick; cook it until it pulls away from the pan in one soft ball.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the bean paste
- 9 oz split peeled mung beanssoaked for 3 hours
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 1 pinch salt
To colour and glaze
- food colouring gelsred, yellow, green, purple; mixed with a few drops of water
- 2 tsp agar powder
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz split peeled mung beans and steam them over a medium-high heat until they mash easily between your fingers, about 25 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Blend the warm beans with 1 cup coconut milk until perfectly smooth, then scrape into a non-stick pan with 5 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt.
5 minStep 3: Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring and folding constantly, until the paste is thick, no longer sticky to a dry finger and comes away from the pan as one soft ball, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
20 minStep 4: Knead the paste briefly, then shape 2 cm pieces into little fruits and vegetables. Push a cocktail stick into each and stand them in a block of foam or a colander. Chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
45 minStep 5: Paint the shapes with food colouring gels using a fine brush, starting with the pale base colour and adding blushes and stems once dry. Leave until the paint is dry to the touch, about 20 minutes.
30 minStep 6: Whisk 2 tsp agar powder into 1 ¼ cups water in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes until fully dissolved and clear, then stir in 1 ¾ oz sugar. Keep it warm over the lowest heat.
5 minStep 7: Dip each fruit into the agar, lift and let it drip for a few seconds, then stand it up to set. When the first coat is firm (2–3 minutes), dip twice more for a glossy skin.
20 minStep 8: Once set, ease out the sticks, trim the jelly at the base with scissors and add small pandan-leaf 'leaves' if you like. Keep chilled in a covered box for up to 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does look chup take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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