Lotus Seed Paste

Recipe: Lotus Seed Paste莲蓉馅

Yield: 300g

Ingredients

200g dried lotus seeds 1¼ cup water (liquid from boiling lotus seeds)

90g brown sugar or to taste 2 TBSP vegetable oil

Measurements: tsp. = teaspoon | TBSP = tablespoon

Preparation
1. Split open dried lotus seeds.	2. Flick out the cores, if any, with the point of a knife.	3. Wash and rinse lotus seeds. Soak lotus seeds in hot water for 3 to 4 hours or in cold water for 6 to 8 hours, until double in volume.
4. Put lotus seeds and saoking water in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Add water to cover lotus seeds if necessary. Reduce heat to low, cover wtih lid, and continue simmer lotus seeds for about 30 minutes until fork tender.	5. Heat off. Fish out the lotus seeds and place in a bowl. Leave to cool slightly.	6. Put the cooked lotus seeds in a plastic bag. Roll out with a rolling pin to mash the lotus seeds until fine and smooth. Put the mashed seeds into a large bowl, combine with 1¼ cup water (liquid from boiling lotus seeds).
7. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl.	8. Heat up a saucepan. Put lotus seed puree and brown sugar in the saucepan, stir fry until dry.	9. Stir in vegetable oil. Turn off the heat. Leave lotus seed paste to cool completely.
10. Lotus seed paste is ready to use. Wrap any unused lotus seed paste with cling wrap, put in an air tight container and store in refrigerator (better for not more than a week).

Notes

Alternatively, you can ignore step 6, puree the lotus seeds with 1¼ cup water in a blender until smooth. Brown sugar adds nice brown color to the white lotus seed paste. Lotus seed paste can be used as filling for pao, glutinous rice balls, mooncakes, Chinese biscuits, kueh etc.