Tau Sar Piah (Flaky Mung Bean Pastry)
Singapore-style Tau Sar Piah — flaky baked pastry filled with sweet mung bean paste, perfect as a kopitiam teatime snack or festive treat.
About this dish
Tau Sar Piah (flaky mung bean pastry) is a much-loved Singaporean Chinese pastry you’ll find in kopitiams, neighbourhood bakeries and hawker centre stalls from Tiong Bahru to the heartlands. The characteristic flaky, layered crust and smooth, lightly sweet mung bean (tau sar) filling make it a favourite for breakfast, tea break or as part of a Chinese New Year spread.
This version follows the classic two-dough method (oil dough + skin dough) to create crisp, buttery layers — traditionally made with lard for that rich lift, but easily swapped for vegetable shortening if you prefer. The mung bean paste is cooked until dry and silky, then shaped and wrapped in the laminated dough before baking until golden. The result is a contrast of textures: crumbly, shattering pastry and dense, melt-in-the-mouth filling.
Tau Sar Piah sits comfortably beside kopi or Chinese tea at a kopitiam, and it’s a brilliant item to bring to potlucks or family gatherings. Busy parents will appreciate that the filling can be made ahead and frozen; bakers used to zi char heat will find the shaping technique familiar. Little local touches — a sprinkle of white sesame seeds on top, or a whisper of pandan when cooking the mung beans — can make this feel extra Singaporean.
Ingredients
- 250 g split yellow mung beans (hulled mung dal), rinsed and soaked 2 hours or overnight
- 120–150 g caster sugar (adjust to taste)
- 60 g vegetable oil or melted lard (for a richer taste use lard; vegetable oil for vegetarian option)
- Pinch of salt
- 1–2 pandan leaves (optional, tied in a knot) or 1/2 tsp pandan essence
- 120 g plain flour (oil dough)
- 60 g lard or vegetable shortening (oil dough) — cold, cut into pieces
- 240 g plain flour (skin dough)
- 30 g caster sugar (skin dough)
- 30 ml neutral oil (skin dough)
- 80–90 ml water (lukewarm, skin dough) — adjust to form a soft dough
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash (optional)
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- Extra plain flour for dusting
- Baking paper or non-stick sheet for baking
Step-by-Step Method
- Soak and cook mung beans: Drain soaked mung beans and place in a pot with just enough water to cover. Add pandan leaf if using. Simmer gently until beans are completely soft and breaking apart (20–30 minutes). Drain thoroughly and discard pandan.
- Dry and mash the filling: Transfer the cooked beans to a blender or use a potato masher to make a smooth paste. In a non-stick pan on medium-low heat, cook the mashed beans with sugar and a pinch of salt, stirring continuously to evaporate moisture until the paste becomes thick and holds together (about 10–15 minutes). Stir in 60 g oil or lard to make the paste glossy and smooth. Cool completely.
- Portion the filling: When cool, divide the mung bean paste into 16 equal balls (about 25–30 g each) and roll into smooth spheres. Keep covered.
- Make the oil dough (you tiao dough): Rub 120 g plain flour with 60 g cold lard/shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs, then bring together to form a smooth dough. Cover and rest for 15–20 minutes.
- Make the skin dough: Mix 240 g plain flour with 30 g sugar, 30 ml oil and 80–90 ml lukewarm water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead briefly until smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Assemble laminated dough: Divide both doughs into 16 equal portions. Flatten each oil-dough ball, wrap it inside a skin-dough ball, seal and roll gently into a cylinder. Roll each cylinder into a thin rectangle, then roll up like a Swiss roll and coil into a snail shape. Press gently and flatten into a disc — this lamination gives the flaky layers.
- Fill and shape: Place a mung bean ball in the centre of each disc, gather edges and seal, then gently shape into a round patty. Lightly dust with flour if sticky. Arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment.
- Egg wash and sesame: Brush each pastry lightly with beaten egg for shine (or skip for a paler finish). Sprinkle with white sesame seeds.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (fan) / 190°C (conventional). Bake the pastries for 18–25 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top. Rotate tray halfway to ensure even colouring.
- Cool and store: Let the tau sar piah cool completely on a rack — they firm up as they cool and the layers crisp. Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Serving suggestion: Serve warm or at room temperature with kopi or Chinese tea. If reheating from chilled, pop back in a 160°C oven for 6–8 minutes to refresh the flakiness.
Tips & Serving Ideas
- Soak the mung beans properly — well-soaked beans cook faster and mash smoother. If short on time, use canned yellow mung bean paste as a shortcut and adjust sugar.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable shortening instead of lard; texture will be slightly different but still pleasantly flaky.
- Rest both doughs: the 30-minute rest relaxes gluten and helps with rolling and lamination, producing cleaner layers.
- When cooking the mung paste, keep the heat low and stir constantly — this avoids sticking and helps you gauge the right dryness for shaping.
- If your home oven runs hot (common in older Singapore flats), reduce temperature by 10–15°C and check earlier so the pastry doesn’t over-brown.
- Make the filling a day ahead — chilled, well-dried filling is easier to wrap and gives better structure in the pastry.
- Buy split yellow mung beans and basic baking ingredients at local supermarkets (NTUC, Cold Storage, Sheng Siong) or wet markets for the freshest beans.
- To refresh day-old pastries, reheat in a 160°C oven for 5–8 minutes to bring back crispness rather than microwaving, which makes them soggy.
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