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Wandouhuang (豌豆黄, Beijing chilled yellow pea cake)
Smooth, cool split-pea squares from the old Qing court kitchens
Wandouhuang is a Beijing spring and early-summer sweet, sold from carts around the Qingming festival and once polished into an imperial version for the Qing court that is still served in Beihai Park's old-style restaurants. Yellow split peas are boiled to a mush, pressed through a sieve and cooked down with sugar until thick, then left to set in a tray and cut into neat pale-gold blocks. Chilled, it is cool and smooth with a fine, melting texture and the gentle, nutty taste of peas. Serve on small plates with jasmine tea, or after a rich meal. It is naturally egg-free and needs no setting agent at all: the starch in the peas firms the paste as it cools, like a polenta. Chef's tip: the common mistake is not cooking the paste down far enough; keep stirring until a line drawn through it with a spatula stays open for a few seconds, or it will not slice.
- Total time
- 480 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz yellow split peas
- 5 cups waterplus more for soaking
- 1 pinch bicarbonate of sodaoptional, softens the peas faster
- 4 ½ oz rock sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tin
- 1 tbsp sugared osmanthus syrup (optional)alcohol-free, to drizzle
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz yellow split peas and soak them in plenty of cold water for 4 hours, then drain.
240 minStep 2: Put the peas in a pan with 5 cups water and 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes, until the peas fall apart completely.
40 minStep 3: Push the peas and their liquid through a fine sieve with the back of a ladle, discarding any skins.
Step 4: Return the purée to a non-stick pan with 4 ½ oz rock sugar or caster sugar. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 15–20 minutes, until thick, glossy and a spatula line drawn through it holds for a few seconds.
18 minStep 5: Oil a 15 cm square tin or loaf tin with 1 tsp neutral oil. Spread in the paste, smooth the top and tap the tin to knock out air.
Step 6: Cool, cover and chill for at least 3 hours, until firm.
180 minStep 7: Turn out and cut into 3 cm blocks with a wet knife. Serve cold, drizzled with 1 tbsp sugared osmanthus syrup if you like. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wandouhuang (豌豆黄, Beijing chilled yellow pea cake) take?
- About 480 minutes in total: 420 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of rock sugar or caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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