Tau Suan (Split green bean soup)
October 13, 2008 – 4:01 pm by wiffy
Tau Suan (split green bean soup) served with you tiao (dough fritters)
I made some tau suan for dessert last weekend! Tau Suan is a popular Chinese dessert but those who are not residing in Asia may not be familiar with it. I’m not sure if my translation is off, but I roughly translate it as ’split green bean soup’. It sounds a little strange but calling it green/mung bean soup may be confusing. I have no idea why the beans are called ’split green beans’ (as labeled in the supermarket) since they are obviously yellow and not green. So I did some reading, and found out that “the split bean is known as moong dal, which is green with the husk, and yellow when dehusked.” Here’s a photo (to your right) to let you see what they looked like … the beans are yellow and flat.
I took my recipe from Desserts (Mini cookbooks series) published by Marshall Cavendish. I was pleasantly suprised to find out that this is so easy to make, and it was a successful attempt the first time round. It is definitely much cheaper to make this at home than to eat it outside, plus you can adjust the sweetness according to your liking. Most importantly, you can have generous, unlimited servings of you tiao to go with your tau suan (unlike the measly portions given outside ;p)
Btw, isn’t the little fan used in the photos cute? It was unbearably hot when I went to Chatuchuk Market in August, and I did the unglamorous thing of buying this fan to cool myself =x But it turns to be a nice little photography prop too, at a cost of only 10 Thai Baht (S$0.45, US$0.30) ;p
Ingredients
(Makes 4 rice bowls)
150g split green (mung) bean
2 pandan leaves, washed and tied to a knot
50g rock sugar
500ml water
1 “you tiao” (fried dough fritters/”you char kway“), sliced
Thickener:
40g sweet potato flour (or water chestnut flour), mixed with 125ml (1/2 cup) water
Directions
1. Soak the beans in water for 1 hour, drained and rinse again with water. Drain again.
2. Steam the beans for about 30 minutes, or until they are soft.
3. In a pot, add water, pandan leaves and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and add in the steamed beans.
4. Before using the thickener, stir the solution again to make sure it is even. Stir in the thickener slowly until mixture thickens (you do not need to add all … stop adding once it becomes the thickness that you like. I used only 3/4 of the amount).
5. Ladle into serving bowls and top with you tiao. Serve hot or warm.
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I’m serving this delightful Chinese dessert, to Sra who is hosting the 4th edition of My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event started by my dear food blogging friend, Susan the well seasoned cook.
Share the good food
Tags: chinese dessert, dough fritters, split green bean, tau suan
Posted in Blog Events, Chinese, Desserts, Legume Love Affair, Recipes
23 Responses to “Tau Suan (Split green bean soup)”
This is indeed cost saving. Having hot desserts outside is really quite expensive as those beans and stuffs cost very little.
I like your little photography prop.
By didally on Oct 13, 2008
I heard it takes a long time for tau suan to cook! Hmmmm….
You made your own you cha kueh?
By tigerfish on Oct 13, 2008
Hey, this is one of the Teochew desserts which was rather popular:)
Nice nice…
By Christy on Oct 13, 2008
That fan is definitely a nice prop, so cheap too! I love tau suan but hard to get fresh you tiao here, so have to eat without the you tiao.
By Little Corner of Mine on Oct 13, 2008
Moong dal is a pantry staple here in India but the soup is completely new to me.
I was thrilled to read about Chatuchak Mkt - we visited Thailand last year and came back with a few purchases from Chatuchak, all small things, including two ceramic bowls that I haven’t used yet.
Thanks for the entry, Wiffy!
By sra on Oct 15, 2008
Hey! I luv your fan. U r such a good shopper with great bargain!
I had never tried tau suan dessert before but will surely give it a try. Your pic looks so delicious and convincing to me! Beautiful shots!
By lk on Oct 15, 2008
I like the sound of this split green bean soup.
By Kevin on Oct 15, 2008
Hee hee. I see you love lots of you teow (yo cha kueh) like me!
By Ning on Oct 15, 2008
I’m having some you tiao with bah kut teh for dinner, slurp! Wouldn’t mind this for dessert - to warm the bones on such a dreary day. Hint, hint
By Dee on Oct 15, 2008
Split peas are one of fave ingredients for soup…a comforting bowl here.
By Peter on Oct 15, 2008
While Americans do make chilled, sweet soups, especially in summer, we don’t generally use legumes. We definitely need more bean desserts of every kind!
This is “fan”tastic, Wiffy. Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.
By Susan on Oct 16, 2008
didally, thanks =) have fun in taiwan!
tigerfish, I even heard that you need to soak overnight and manually split the peas but I dun think need to go to such lengths hehe =P did I make my own you cha kueh? Of course … not! haha =p
Christy, hmm I didn’t know this is teochew… hehe
LCOM, nooo… how can eat this without you tiao? T_T I wish I can send some over to you
sra, thank you for hosting, I had fun participating in the event =)
lk, ha ha … I think I’m just a cheapo shopper ;P Thank you =)
kevin, thanks!
Ning, yes the more the merrier right? ;D
Dee, I wouldn’t mind some bah kut teh with you tiao for dinner too, hehe
Peter, thank you =)
Susan, haha, great pun Susan, so “fan”ny … you’re so witty ^_^
By wiffy on Oct 16, 2008
Oh yummy! I love this dessert and it looks do-able
Thanks and yes, the fan’s an awesome prop!
By Pink Parisian on Oct 16, 2008
I call that dough fritter as cakwe… I used to buy at Superstore here, but it still tastes different for me
By Pepy on Oct 16, 2008
Thanks Wiffy! Almost every time I do my fresh grocery shopping I look at the dough sticks and wonder what they’re called. Now I know!
By Tom Aarons on Oct 16, 2008
Oh dough fritters…dough fritters! I’m in love here.
By noble pig on Oct 16, 2008
hey there, what a nice prop hehe, as food bloggers, we’re always on the look out for props eh hehe
and the dessert looks good, too bad it’s hard for me to get good fresh you tiao here
the frozen ones are not as good definitely, i love you tiao with red bean soup too 
By Tastes of Home on Oct 17, 2008
NC, I learn so much when I come here.
I’ve never heard of this dessert before, but it looks and sounds wonderful. Thanks!
By marysol on Oct 17, 2008
Wow - you’ve got some really great flavors going on here. I’m loving this!
-DTW
By Darius T. williams on Oct 17, 2008
What a coincidence. We’ve got some mung beans and Mum was going to make a dessert for us.
Do you make your own you tiao too?
By Nate on Oct 17, 2008
Pink Paristan, hehe thanks. Yes it’s definitely do-able… hope you try it ^^
Tom Aarons, you’re welcome & thanks =)
noble pig, I love them too ^^
Tastes of Home, aww I just realised that it’s not easy to find you tiao in some parts of the world, how I wish I can send some over
marysol, thank you … you are too kind ^^
Darius, thanks & welcome!
Nate, I bought ready made you tiaos =D
By wiffy on Oct 17, 2008
Those looks like split yellow peas to me: I’m guessing that’s also another name for these “green beans”? I love those Chinese “doughnuts”!
By [eatingclub] vancouver || js on Oct 23, 2008
I may need to steal this recipe! I have never had Chinese style moong dhal soup before. I know it’s being used a whole lot in Indian cooking hence I always have a bag of those in my pantry. And woohoo…now that I know this dish, I can ’show off’ different twist of moong dhal to my mom in law’s! Heeee..Thanks for sharing the recipe.
As far as char kuey, I can eat that anytime..anywhere! *salivating*
By Cecil on Oct 24, 2008