Mung bean sweet potato dessert with coconut milk is a rich and creamy delicacy that holds a special place in Southeast Asian cuisine. This luscious dessert balances sweetness with wholesome ingredients like mung beans, sweet potatoes, and coconut milk, creating a satisfying blend of textures and flavors. The addition of coconut palm sugar, or gula Melaka, enhances its natural sweetness and adds a deep, caramelized flavor, making the dessert irresistibly comforting. Beyond its delectable taste, this dish also offers several health benefits, as mung beans are known for their cooling properties and ability to detoxify the body.
In Chinese cuisine, mung beans have long been used as a healing food, particularly during the hot summer months. Mung beans are often cooked into soups or desserts that help to clear heat and toxins from the body, cooling it down during sweltering weather. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, mung beans are particularly valued for their ability to help reduce internal heat and provide relief from the discomforts of warm weather. For this reason, mung bean desserts are traditionally consumed during hot days to keep the body cool and refreshed.
The process of making mung bean sweet potato dessert with coconut milk starts with cooking the mung beans. First, rinse the mung beans thoroughly and then cook them in water until they become soft and tender. The beans should be cooked until they start to break apart, releasing their starches and giving the dessert its creamy base. Once the mung beans have softened, sweet potatoes are added to the pot. The sweet potatoes provide a contrasting texture—soft yet firm—and add a natural sweetness that complements the richness of the mung beans.
After the sweet potatoes are softened, it’s time to introduce gula Melaka, salt, and pandan leaves into the dessert. Gula Melaka, a type of coconut palm sugar commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking, imparts a rich, caramel-like sweetness that elevates the dish to a new level of flavor. The salt enhances the sweetness by providing a subtle contrast, while pandan leaves infuse the dessert with a fragrant, almost vanilla-like aroma that is characteristic of many traditional Asian desserts.
One of the key components of this dessert is the addition of sago pearls. Sago is a starch extracted from palm stems and is used to add a chewy texture to the dish. The sago pearls should be semi-cooked separately before being added to the dessert. Once the sago is ready, it’s added along with coconut milk to the mung bean and sweet potato mixture. The creamy coconut milk enriches the dessert, giving it a silky, velvety texture that contrasts beautifully with the earthy mung beans and soft sweet potatoes.
After the coconut milk is added, the mixture is brought to a gentle boil and then taken off the heat. Cover the pot and let the dessert sit for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the sago to fully cook through. During this time, the sago pearls will absorb the liquid and become fully translucent, adding a delightful chewiness to each spoonful. This resting period also allows the flavors to meld together, creating a harmonious balance of sweetness, creaminess, and aroma.
The dessert can be served hot or chilled, depending on personal preference. On a hot day, it’s often enjoyed cold, which makes it even more refreshing. Chilling the dessert in the fridge allows the flavors to intensify, while the creamy coconut milk thickens and creates a rich, indulgent treat. Alternatively, when served warm, the dessert offers a cozy and comforting sensation, perfect for cooler days or as a soothing end to a meal.
Check out our Chinese sweet soup dessert collection.
CHINESE VERSION: 椰奶绿豆番薯糖水
Mung Bean Sweet Potato Dessert with Coconut Milk | MyKitchen101en
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1.5 Liter water
- 150 g mung bean (rinsed, drained)
- 400 g sweet potato (cut into pieces)
- 180 g coconut palm sugar (gula Melaka)
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 3 pcs pandan leaves
- 60 g small sago pearls
- 300 ml thick coconut milk
Instructions:
1 Bring 1.5 Liter of water to the boil, add in mung bean, bring to the boil again, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
2 Add in sweet potato, bring to the boil again, then cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until sweet potato is softened.
3 Add in coconut palm sugar, salt and pandan leaves, cook until sugar has fully dissolved.
4 Cook the small sago until semi-translucent (Refer to: How to Cook Small Sago Pearls).
5 Add in half-cooked sago and coconut milk, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat, cover and let sago soaks for 10-15 minutes until fully translucent.
6 The sago is fully translucent, mung bean sweet potato dessert is ready to be served!
Mung Bean Sweet Potato With Coconut Milk Dessert
Rate
Ingredients
- 1.5 Liter water
- 150 g mung bean rinsed, drained
- 400 g sweet potato cut into pieces
- 180 g coconut palm sugar gula Melaka
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 3 pieces pandan leaves
- 60 g small sago pearls
- 300 ml thick coconut milk
Instructions
- Bring 1.5 Liter of water to the boil, add in mung bean, bring to the boil again, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
- Add in sweet potato, bring to the boil again, then cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until sweet potato is softened.
- Add in coconut palm sugar, salt and pandan leaves, cook until sugar has fully dissolved.
- Cook the small sago until semi-translucent (Refer to: How to Cook Small Sago Pearls).
- Add in half-cooked sago and coconut milk, mix well, bring to the boil again, then off the heat, cover and let sago soaks for 10-15 minutes until fully translucent.
- The sago is fully translucent, mung bean sweet potato dessert is ready to be served!
Video
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
Rate this recipe
Click to rate
Trackbacks/Pingbacks