Hainanese Yi Buah Recipe 制作海南薏粑

Hainanese Yi Buah

I learn to make traditional yi buah from my 70 plus year-old
Hainanese sister-in-law. She has been making these delectable snacks for more than half a century.

Hainanese yi buah is made and eaten during joyous occasions such as birthdays, weddings and baby's full month celebrations.To the Hainanese, sharing their yi buah is a sharing of blessings and good fortune.

Traditional Hainanese Yi Buah
Makes about 20 - 25 pcs (depending on your desired size)

Coconut Filling :
Ingredients A
500g coconut shreds
300g gula melaka (coarsely chopped)
100g white sesame seeds
150g peanuts (coarsely grounded)
100g ginger (peel and grate finely, optional)
10g orange zest (optional)
5 pcs pandan leaves (washed and tie into a knot)
some water

Method:
1) To make gula melaka syrup. In a wok, put in gula melaka, water and pandan leaves to cook over medium low heat till gula melaka dissolved. Remove pandan leaves. Strain the liquid. Add in ginger and orange zest.

2) When the syrup thickens, add in the coconut shreds and stir well. Add in ground peanuts and white sesame seeds, mix well. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Coconut filling should be moist.

Shaping the Yi Buah

Skin Dough :
Ingredients
100g rice flour
400ml warm water
500g glutinous rice flour (sifted)
350ml water
150 ml peanut oil
Some banana leaves cut into stripes
Peanut oil for glazing

Making Yi Buah

Method:
1) Place rice flour into a pan, add hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, put in glutinous rice flour, then water and followed by peanut oil. Using your hand, mix well until a dough forms.

3) Add the rice flour dough to the glutinous flour dough and combine well into a smooth mixture. Set aside.

4) Divide dough into 30g each. Flatten each ball of dough into a round shape.

5) Place the round dough on your palm and spoon two tablespoons of coconut filling onto it. Wrap the filling and form into a ball.

6) Brush some peanut oil on the banana leaves. Wrapped the yi buah with a piece of banana leaf, tuck in the excess banana leave at the base. Flattened yi buah slightly and place on a steaming rack.

7) Steam yi buah over boiling water for about 10 minutes (depends on how big is the size of your yi buah).

8) Remove from heat, brush yi buah with peanut oil while it’s still hot.

9) Dot the centre of the yi buah with some permitted red food colouring after they have cooled down.