Tianjin-Style Gaobacai (Crunchy Mung Bean Cake)

Last updated 2026-11-09 — First, grind mung beans into powder, sift, soak in clean water, then rub by hand to remove the bean skins and impurities, drain the excess water, and mix with soaked rice. Grind the mixture into a porridge-like consistency. Next, place the griddle over low heat, scoop on the batter, spread it into thin, paper-like round pancakes, and cut them into willow leaf shapes. Then, to make the sauce, first heat sesame oil, add chopped scallions, minced ginger, and coriander roots until they turn golden. Add ground star anise and fermented soybean paste, then pour in soy sauce. Once it boils, transfer to a basin. Separately, bring water to a boil, add coarse salt and the prepared sauce. When the pot boils again, pour in soy sauce, add ground star anise, five-spice powder, minced ginger, and alkaline powder. Once the sauce boils, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry and pour it into a prepared container. Use some clean salted water to dilute the fermented tofu, then mix it with the other salted water and season with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to taste. Separately, fry chili powder in hot oil until it turns apricot yellow, then separate the oil from the paste. Next, take dried tofu slices, cut them into small diamond shapes, and fry them in hot sesame oil until the outer skin becomes crispy. Then, put them in boiling water to cook. Once it boils, add soy sauce and MSG. After it boils again, remove the dried tofu. Finally, thin out the sesame paste with sesame oil. The dish is visually appealing, has an attractive shape, and offers a rich variety of flavors.