Homemade Lotus Paste for Mooncakes
Treat, Ingredient
Equipment Needed: Cook Hob, Food Processor
Time Needed: 1 day
✓ Gluten Free
✓ Dairy Free
✓ Egg Free
✓ Nut Free
Are you looking for a great filling for your mooncakes that is low in sugar and contains no preservatives? Try our great homemade lotus paste recipe. It takes a little more time than buying a prepared package of paste off the shelf, but it is totally worth it.
Ingredients
- 400g lotus seeds
- 200g raw sugar
- 220g vegetable oil (I’ve used rice bran oil and peanut oil previously, the nut oil definitely gives a better flavour)
- pinch salt
What you need to know
- As there is no preservative and a low amount of sugar used in this paste, don’t store it at room temperature in Singapore climate.
- Don’t reduce the amount of sugar and oil as this is the minimal amount to make the paste taste delicious. If you want your paste to be smoother or sweeter, add more. This recipe will make lotus paste with a mild creamy colour.
- CHOCOLATE PASTE: Add 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa and 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence to above lotus paste recipe toward the end of cooking. For a richer fudge type consistency added in 150g melted chocolate, be careful not to over cook.
Instructions
-
Prepare the lotus seeds by soaking in plenty of water for 3 hours to overnight. After soaking, the dried lotus seeds will have swollen to nearly double their size, remove all green bitter cores before cooking the seeds.
-
Put all seeds in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water.
-
Cook for 1 to 2 hours, until soft, add water whilst cooking if it’s drying out.
-
Pulse cooked soft lotus seeds in food processor until smooth. You can sieve the puree for extra smooth paste before cooking the paste.
-
To cook the paste, heat 1 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp of raw sugar in a frying pan until the caramelised. Add lotus paste and the rest of the sugar continue to cook over high heat until boiling. Turn heat down to medium and cook until the mixture thickened (about 15 mins).
-
Stir in oil gradually and mix into the paste, continuing to cook on medium to high heat, until mixture thickens further. Mixture should becomes a firm paste (about another 25 mins). When a spoonful of paste holds it shape well it means it is done. Transfer the lotus paste into a large container with no cover (to avoid any condensation).
-
Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, preferably overnight as it will develop a nicer deeper colour.
-
To store the paste, wrap in cling wrap and keep in airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or store in a fridge up to 1 month or store in a freezer up to 6 months.
WHITE LOTUS PASTE
Prep Time1 d
Cook Time3 hrs
Ingredients
- 400 g lotus seeds
- 200 g raw sugar
- 220 g vegetable oil I’ve used rice bran oil and peanut oil previously, the nut oil definitely gives a better flavour
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Prepare the lotus seeds by soaking in plenty of water for 3 hours to overnight. After soaking, the dried lotus seeds will have swollen to nearly double their size, remove all green bitter cores before cooking the seeds.
- Put all seeds in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water.
- Cook for 1 to 2 hours, until soft, add water whilst cooking if it’s drying out.
- Pulse cooked soft lotus seeds in food processor until smooth. You can sieve the puree for extra smooth paste before cooking the paste.
- To cook the paste, heat 1 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp of raw sugar in a frying pan until the caramelised. Add lotus paste and the rest of the sugar continue to cook over high heat until boiling. Turn heat down to medium and cook until the mixture thickened (about 15 mins).
- Stir in oil gradually and mix into the paste, continuing to cook on medium to high heat, until mixture thickens further. Mixture should becomes a firm paste (about another 25 mins). When a spoonful of paste holds it shape well it means it is done. Transfer the lotus paste into a large container with no cover (to avoid any condensation).
- Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, preferably overnight as it will develop a nicer deeper colour.
- To store the paste, wrap in cling wrap and keep in airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or store in a fridge up to 1 month or store in a freezer up to 6 months.
Notes
As there is no preservative and a low amount of sugar used in this paste, don’t store it at room temperature in Singapore climate.
Don’t reduce the amount of sugar and oil as this is the minimal amount to make the paste taste delicious. If you want your paste to be smoother or sweeter, add more.
This recipe will make lotus paste with a mild creamy colour. CHOCOLATE PASTE: Add 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa and 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence to above lotus paste recipe toward the end of cooking.
For a richer fudge type consistency added in 150g melted chocolate, be careful not to over cook.
This recipe will make lotus paste with a mild creamy colour. CHOCOLATE PASTE: Add 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa and 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence to above lotus paste recipe toward the end of cooking.
For a richer fudge type consistency added in 150g melted chocolate, be careful not to over cook.
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