Taro paste filling is a popular choice for mooncakes, known for its smooth, rich texture and mildly sweet flavor. This filling complements the traditional baked mooncake crust, offering a delightful contrast in taste and consistency. The process of making taro paste filling involves a handful of ingredients that are carefully selected to enhance the flavor and texture of the taro.
The primary ingredient in taro paste filling is taro, a starchy root vegetable. To achieve the best results, it is recommended to use the part of the taro with pink-purple flecks. This specific part yields a taro paste with a more appealing light purple hue, making the filling visually attractive as well as delicious. Steaming the taro is the first step, as this softens it, making it easier to mash into a smooth paste. The texture of the steamed taro is naturally creamy, and it forms the base of the mooncake filling. The rich, earthy flavor of taro pairs well with the sweet and fragrant elements added later in the process.
Pandan leaves are often incorporated during the steaming process to add a subtle yet distinctive fragrance to the taro paste. Pandan leaves will release a vanilla-like aroma that complements the earthy sweetness of the taro. While the flavor of pandan is delicate, it elevates the overall taste of the filling, making it more complex and enjoyable.
Sugar is added to the mashed taro to sweeten the filling. Taro itself has a mild natural sweetness, but sugar enhances this, making the filling suitable for desserts like mooncakes. The amount of sugar can be adjusted based on preference, but it should provide a balanced sweetness that does not overpower the taro’s natural flavor.
A small amount of salt is also crucial in the recipe. Salt brings out the natural flavors of the taro and helps balance the sweetness from the sugar. It adds depth to the filling and prevents it from tasting too sweet.
Glutinous rice flour is used as a binding agent, helping to create a cohesive filling. However, if the taro used has a naturally sticky or gluey texture, the glutinous rice flour can be omitted. The starch content in certain varieties of taro may be sufficient to hold the filling together without the need for additional flour.
Lastly, cooking oil is incorporated to give the taro paste a smooth, glossy texture. The oil helps prevent the filling from drying out and ensures it remains soft and workable when shaped into mooncakes. A small amount of oil also enhances the richness of the taro paste, giving it a luxurious mouthfeel.
Together, these ingredients create a perfectly balanced taro paste filling, ideal for mooncakes. The use of pink-purple flecked taro, pandan leaves, sugar, salt, and optional glutinous rice flour, combined with oil, results in a fragrant, smooth, and visually appealing filling that is both satisfying and flavorful.
CHINESE VERSION: 自制芋泥月饼馅
Taro Paste Filling for Mooncake | MyKitchen101en
Yields: about 730 g
Ingredients:
- 650 g taro (diced)
- 5 pcs pandan leaves
- 230 g fine sugar
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 ½ tbsps glutinous rice flour*
- 200 g plain water
- 3 ½ tbsps cooking oil
Directions:
1 Steam taro with pandan leaves for 25-30 minutes, or until very soft. (Reminder: The weight for taro is net weight, i.e. after the skin is removed.)
2 Combine sugar, salt, glutinous rice flour and water. Mash steamed taro while still hot, add in and mix until combined, then sieve into a non-stick pan (add in more water if the paste is thick). (Reminder: There are many varieties of taro, taro paste made with different type of taro might have different colour. You may omit the glutinous rice flour* if the taro you use contains a lot of sticky gluey substance.)
3 Add in cooking oil, mix well.
4 Cook over medium heat for 22-23 minutes (the heat for different cooker is different, cooking time is just for reference), until you have a smooth paste. (Update for storage: Put paste in container and freeze it. Return frozen paste to room temperature before using. )
Related recipe: Baked Taro Paste Layered Flaky Crust Mooncake
Taro Paste Filling for Mooncake
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Ingredients
- 650 g taro diced
- 5 pcs pandan leaves
- 230 g fine sugar
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 ½ tbsps glutinous rice flour*
- 200 g plain water
- 3 ½ tbsps cooking oil
Instructions
- Steam taro with pandan leaves for 25-30 minutes, or until very soft. (Reminder: The weight for taro is net weight, i.e. after the skin is removed.)
- Combine sugar, salt, glutinous rice flour and water. Mash steamed taro while still hot, add in and mix until combined, then sieve into a non-stick pan (add in more water if the paste is thick). (Reminder: There are many varieties of taro, taro paste made with different type of taro might have different colour. You may omit the glutinous rice flour* if the taro you use contains a lot of sticky gluey substance.)
- Add in cooking oil, mix well.
- Cook over medium heat for 22-23 minutes (the heat for different cooker is different, cooking time is just for reference), until you have a smooth paste. (Update for storage: Put paste in container and freeze it. Return frozen paste to room temperature before using. )
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Wow..I will try.color is so smooth
I don’t own a non stick pan. Can I use a regular stainless steel pot? Will it stick badly?? Thanks alot
I haven’t tried with stainless steel pan, you may need to add more oil.
Added 100g purple potatoes for color, then adjust other ingredients according to new total weight of main ingredients.
Since already having pandan in recipe, so make sense to add coconut cream.
Result in very nice taste of purple taro paste.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.