Hakka Cha Guo

A friend requested these for her party and these are Hakka Cha Guo (茶粿) or Hakka Tea Cake. Since it's such a joyous occasion I made them into various color to brighten up her party.



Red one has peanut filling. Purple one has yam filling.
Green one has coconut filling. Orange one has mung bean filling


Crumbly state of dough


Ingredients: (8 pieces @ 5cm diameter)
Skin:
100g glutinous rice flour
40g rice flour
90ml water
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn oil
coloring of your choice

Method:
1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix till dough is crumbly.
2. Remove 60g of the dough and divide into 3 portions. Press and flatten each portion and cook it in a pot of boiling water till dough floats to the top.
3. Add the cooked dough to the raw dough and knead till smooth.
4. Divide dough into 8 portions (which is about 28g each). Flatten it into a round disc and wrap in 2 heaped teaspoons of the fillings.
5. Place molded cha guo onto a piece of oiled banana leaf.
6. When all the cha guos are shaped, steam them in a wok with boiling hot water over medium heat for 4 minutes covered. After 4 minutes, remove the wok lid to release steam, then re-cover and steam for another 3 minutes over a medium fire, until the guos are cooked. Remove the guos from the wok and brush them with a little cooked oil to prevent them from sticking together. Serve when cool.

Fillings:
Coconut Filling:
(enough for 16 pieces)

150g grated coconut
2 tbsp water
55g palm sugar (chopped up to small pieces)
10g -15g sugar or rock sugar (chopped to small pieces)

Put 2 tbsp water in a saucepan, add in both sugars. Cook over low heat till sugars dissolved. Add in the grated coconut and cook till a little dry or to your liking.

Mung Bean Filling:
(more than enough for 16 pieces)

200g yellow split mung beans
85g castor sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsps oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup fried shallots
Water

Soak dry mung beans in water for about 1.5 hours. Steam the yellow split mung beans until soft (about 20 - 30 minutes). Mash with a the back of a spoon. In a non-stick wok, fry the diced shallot in oil. Leave aside to cool. In a bowl, mix the mashed split peas, salt, fried shallot, oil and enough water to form a soft dough.

Peanut Filling:
(enough for 10 pieces)

100g peanut
40g sugar
1 - 1.5 tbsp water

Dry fry peanuts in a wok over medium low heat till peanuts are cooked. Remove the outer membrane and let cool. Pound the cool peanuts till fine with coarse bits. Add in sugar and water, mix well to form the filling.

Notes:
1. Use rice flour to flour your hands when working on the dough.
2. Work on floured (with rice four) surface.
3. I added coloring to the 90ml water before adding them to the flours.