Banh pia is an Asian sweet (similar to a moon cake) that is a fusion of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. It has layers of flaky pastry that encase a filling made of mung bean and chunks of candied winter melon for pops of flavour and texture. Our family recipe is so simple and easy that you won’t bother buying them ever again!

I was once that person who didn’t want to try things because they looked too hard. My fear of failure was the reason I never attempted these cakes for the longest time. The thing that got me was when you cut the cake, there are so many layers of pastry. I honestly believed you had to wrap each layer individually to get all the layers… UH WRONG! This cake is actually soooooooooooo easy if you give it a chance. I promise it will work for you first time!

Our version is much simpler than the ones you buy at the Asian groceries. The main differences are:

• We do not add pig fat or any other type of animal fat to the filling or pastry. I know it is traditional to add this ingredient but I personally prefer not to have it.
• We do not add the salted egg to the filling. I don’t like the salted egg, so we have omitted it from the recipe. If you do, then simply add it in.
• We have omitted durian since it is really hard to get where I live.

So our banh pia recipe is fairly basic but I promise it tastes good. Of course this recipe can be used as a base and you can fancy it up however you like.

Tips

1. The first day or two, the pastry of the cake is going to be brittle and flakey. If you leave it uncovered in the fridge, it will become more flakey which is how I prefer it. If you cover it with cling wrap, the pastry will absorb the oil from the filling and become more soft. My mum prefers it this way.
2. If you are needing these moon cakes for an event, then ideally make them 2 days in advance.

Making the Mung Bean Filling

1. Boil the mung bean for roughly 30 minutes in 3 cups of water.
2. Once the mung bean is mushy and most of the water has been absorbed or evaporated, it is ready to be blitzed.
3. Blitz the mung bean into a nice smooth puree.
4. Cook the mung been in a non-stick pan until becomes solid and has the consistency of a bread dough. Let it cool and mould into balls.

Preparing the Pastry

1. Using a rolling pin, flatten the outer dough into roughly 12 cm x 5 cm rectangle.
2. Place the inner dough in the middle of the rectangle and with your fingers, spread it out.
3. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the inner dough out. Try to not spread the inner dough all the way to the edge of the outer dough.
4. Roll the dough up tightly with your fingers.
5. Using the rolling pin, press down on the dough about four times. With your fingers, push the sides in to make straight edges. This is done to avoid the insides of the dough spilling out when flattening out with the rolling pin
6. Flatten the dough out with your rolling pin.
7. Fold the dough roughly into two thirds.
8. Fold the other half over to make a square.
9. Flatten out the dough with a rolling pin to roughly 12 – 13 cm edges.

Wrapping the Cakes

1. Take out the mung bean balls from the fridge.
2. Lay the pastry over the mung bean ball.
3. Use your bottom hand to push the filling up into the pastry while pulling the pastry down with your top hand.
4. Once the filling is nestled tightly into the pastry, turn it over.
5. Pull the furthest edges to the middle.
6. With your thumb and index finger, squeeze and mould the pastry towards the middle. If there is too much filling, take some out to make it easier. To avoid rips and breakages, do not try to pull the edges together with the tips of your fingers. Use the technique described in the picture.
7. Close the cake up. Don’t worry about making it look perfect. The more you stretch the dough, the more likely it will break and end up in a mess.
8. Lay the cake on a flat surface and gently squash it down with your palm.

Other Sweet Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Rainbow Coconut Dessert (Che Suong Sa Hat Luu)
• Vietnamese Snowballs – Banh Bao Chi
• Banana and Bread Cake – Banh Chuoi
• Banana and Coconut Pudding – Che Chuoi
• My Cheat Vietnamese Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice – Xoi Nuoc Dua
• Mango Sticky Rice (Quick Version)

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Scruff