Banh Khoai Mon Hap (Steamed Taro Coconut Cake), Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksSteamed CakesVietnam30 to 45 minutes soaking the red cabbage, 40 minutes steaming
Banh khoai mon hap with coconut milk gives a pale purple cake that is chewy and nutty. Tapioca starch mixed with rice flour keeps it both chewy and firm enough to hold its shape. The tricky part is the taro, which makes hands itch during prep.
The purple comes from red cabbage steeping water, soaked for 30 to 45 minutes and strained carefully. Steam for about 40 minutes, and a toothpick that comes out without raw batter means it is done.
This batch weighs about 1.5kg, at roughly 137 calories per 100g. Slices look their best once the cake has cooled completely.
Method
Remove the tough outer leaves of the red cabbage, wash it, chop it small, put it in a bowl and pour over 240ml water to steep for 30 to 45 minutes. Lift out the cabbage and strain the liquid.
Peel the taro, wash it, soak it briefly in salted water, then slice it thin, rinse it again and cut it into small pieces. Wear gloves to avoid itching.
Put 150g rice flour, 108g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 100g tapioca starch in a large bowl and mix, then pour in 160ml coconut milk and whisk.
Pour the red cabbage water into the bowl, whisk until the flour dissolves, then strain the batter so no lumps remain.
Add the taro to the batter and stir so every piece is coated.
Pour into a tin and steam for about 40 minutes. A toothpick that comes out without wet batter means the cake is done. Turn it out and cut it into thin slices.
Tips
Red cabbage steeping water gives a natural color without leaving any odd flavor.
Strain the steeping water carefully so no shreds of cabbage remain.
Wear gloves while prepping the taro to keep hands from itching.
Let the cake cool completely before slicing, as warm slices fall apart.
Stir until the rice flour and tapioca starch have fully dissolved before the taro goes in, since adding it early sends every piece to the bottom.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.