How to make Hopia

(RECIPE #1)

Ingredients:

Mungo Filling:

1 lb. or 14 oz (1 package) yellow peeled split mung beans. One package is enough for 2 recipes.
2 1/2 cups sugar

Dough 1:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup oil (canola or Crisco oil)

Dough 2:

2 cups All Purpose flour
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water

Procedure:

Make Mung bean Filling:

• Soak the mung beans in 5 cups of water overnight.
• When you cook it, add 2 more cups of water and boil mung beans until mashed.
• Add sugar and mix until you get a thick consistency)

Make Dough 1:

• Mix well and then divide into 4 parts.

Make Dough 2:

• Mix thoroughly and smoothen mixture (smooth - no streaks or bubbles).
• Divide mixture into 4 parts.
• Flatten with hands into 8 inches long, 4 1/2 inches wide and about 1/4 inch deep square.

Prepare Hopia:

• Sprinkle Dough 1 on top of Dough 2.
• Pat lightly making sure not to put too much pressure. The trick is not to mix the 2 doughs.
• Then roll with your hands as if rolling a jelly roll.
• Pinch the ends a teeny bit so that none of Dough 1 falls off the open ends.
• Wrap each of the 4 logs in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Beat 2 eggs and set aside.
• Take the logs and cut each log into...say...5 or 6 parts.
• Flatten each part and spread the mung bean filling over the middle of the dough.
• Fold ends and pinch into a ball.
• Invert the ball (so that the pinched end is at the bottom) onto a cookie sheet then flatten the top by patting ever so slightly.
• Brush the top with the beaten eggs.
• Bake at 375 F for 20-30 minutes.


RECIPE #2

(This recipe is by Gerry Chua of the famous Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli and teaches us how to make this mongo-based favorite the traditional way.)

1. To prepare the filling, you will need mung or mongo beans (split in half). The beans have to be soaked in water for four hours to expand the flesh and remove the husks. Water with mongo skin is drained and the beans rinsed in running water. Steam mongo for 1½ hours then mash it well. Mix mashed mongo with 750g sugar and 50g corn oil. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes in a pan in low heat, stirring continuously to blend everything well. Allow to cool.

2. If you do not want to make the mung bean paste, you can buy prepared bean paste at most Chinese groceries and delis like Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli for 80 pesos per kilo (Call +63 2 242-9765 to 66).

Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 kg mung bean or mongo, split in half
5 cup water
750 gm sugar
50 gm corn oil

For the Dough #1:

2 cups all purpose flour
10 tbsp water
5 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsp butter

For the Dough #2:

1 cup flour
5 tbsp corn oil

Procedure:


1. Soak mongo beans in a bowl of water for four hours. Rub the beans to remove the hulls. Drain the water and rinse the beans well in running water. Steam mongo for 1½ hours then mash it. Combine mongo with sugar and corn oil and cook for 45 minutes in a pan, stirring continuously to blend everything well.

2. Let cool and shape cooked mongo into a ball. Set aside

3. For the first dough, combine flour, water, corn oil and butter in a bowl.

4. Mix well and shape dough into a big ball. Let it "rest" for 30 minutes.

5. Mix flour and corn oil well for the second dough. Form a big ball and set it aside for 30 minutes.

6. On a clean surface, sprinkle about 2 tbsp flour then roll out the first dough.
Roll pieces of the first dough into small balls (about 20 g each or two-inch circles).

7. Roll out the second dough. As with the first, roll pieces of the dough into balls, which should be smaller than those from the first.Flatten each ball from the first dough and place one ball from the second dough in the center. Gather the edges to enclose completely the filling. Pinch the edges securely to seal. Allow to "rest" for five minutes. Prepare the remaining pieces of dough in the same manner.


8. Flatten, fold and roll out each ball again. Allow to "rest" for five minutes. Do this twice. To prevent sticking, you may occasionally put flour on the work surface using as little flour as possible.

9. Roll and fold again the balls two more times and allow to "rest" for five minutes.Get your mongo filling and roll it to form a tube. Then, roll the filling into small balls.Flatten the dough and place a mongo ball in the center.


10. Pinch the edges to the seal. Bake in 425 degree celcius oven for 15 minutes.
Serve hopia warm or cool with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or hot tea.


SOURCE: (1)Posted by Ma. Elena Francisco (Lyn) from a recipe for "Mung Bean Pastry" from Phoebe L. Parrone (Lucy) mfrancisco@rcsd.edu 9450 Gilman Dr. #920539 La Jolla, CA 92092-0539 U.S.A. Phone: 1 619 558 6588. A snack/dessert pastry using a filling of sweetened yellow split mung beans. Makes about 20 hopias. About 3-4 hours total preparation and baking time. (2)www.pampanga-online.com, (3) photo courtesy of photography.mojado.com/archives/Hopia_040509.jpg