Monday 8 October 2012

Mohor (Steamed Sweet Potato Buns)


When I was a kid I loved mohor. I loved the sweet and yeasty smell of this steamed bun. My grandaunts made Nyonya kueh as a vocation and this was one of their specialties. 

Traditionally, the mohor is made with white sweet potatoes and I decided to jazz things up a bit by using the orange colored one. You could use the purple sweet potato too but be sure to use only half portion of purple to half portion of white. Why? Simply because the purple sweet potato has a much stronger smell and it will be too overwhelming.

This kueh is very easy to make as it has only 5 ingredients - flour, egg, sugar, sweet potatoes and yeast. Your special equipments would be 12 small moulds, a steamer and an ice cream scoop (or use two spoons).

This recipe is courtesy of my Aunt who also taught me the method.

Mohor (Steamed Sweet Potato Buns)

Ingredients :
- 200 grams plain flour
- 1 large egg (I used 2 eggs)
- 160 grams fine sugar (I reduced to 120 grams)
- 230 grams sweet potato (skinned, cubed and cooked before weighing)
- 1 soup spoon fresh yeast (recipe here) 

Equipments :
- 12 small moulds (I used teacups, oiled)
- Steamer
- Ice cream scoop to scoop batter or use two spoons
- Tongs to remove hot moulds from steamer


For quick method using instant yeast :
2 teaspoons instant yeast
50grams plain flour
Warm water 

Method :
- Mix flour, yeast and water to form a paste.
- Leave to rise until double in volume.
- Use this in place of fresh yeast.


Method :
1. Boil the sweet potatoes until soft and mash. Leave to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, add yeast, eggs and sugar. Mix until well combined.
3. Add mashed sweet potatoes and mix well. 
4. Add flour and gently mix until well combined. Do not over mix.
5. Cover and leave to rise for about 8 hours (if you use instant yeast time taken will be shorter) or until dough had tripled in volume.
6. When dough has risen, give it a stir (it will deflate) and cover for one hour for it to rise again.
7. Oil your moulds so that it will be easier to remove the mohor after it is steamed.
8. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the batter into the mould until 3/4 full.
9. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes. The mohor should "smile" i.e. split when it is cooked.

Update (I was reminded of this after Wendy's comment) :
This mohor is great dipped in fresh grated coconut. Mix fresh grated coconut with sugar and salt. Dip the mohor into the coconut as and when you eat. My mother likes it like that :)

I was told that the mohor is cooked when it "smiles", that is the top will split into 3. Some of my moho didn't smile but upon testing they were cooked. Maybe using the ice cream scoop made the dough more compact and that's why it didn't smile (???).

Peel and cube sweet potatoes.
Boil until soft and drain.
Mix yeast, eggs and sugar.
Add mashed sweet potatoes and mix well.
Add flour and gently combine. Do not over mix.
Cover with another mixing bowl and leave to rise for about 8 hours (if you use instant yeast time taken will be shorter) or until dough triples in volume.
Eight hours later.
Give it a stir and it will deflate. Leave covered for one hour.
One hour later.

Scoop batter into well oiled moulds.
Cooling after 10 minutes of steaming.
Didn't smile like the traditional mohor should.
Only one smiley faced mohor turned out.
The purple ones looked funky and smelled a little bit funky too.

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Terengganu Month hosted by Lena of frozen wings.




33 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this with us.
    These traditional recipes are finally being made known to us not from Terengganu.

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    Replies
    1. Wendy, you are welcome. By the way, this mohor taste really good eaten with grated coconut. What you do is mix the fresh grated coconut with sugar and salt. Then dip the mohor with it as and when you eat. Sedap lor!

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  2. Hello Phong Hong
    This is the first time I heard of this mohor. Bet it must be yummy becoz I loves anything that makes with sweet potato in it. You have been very hard working in the kitchen lately for the Terengganu month! And thank you for sharing all these great hands me down recipes from your elders

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mel! You will like this kueh and I hope you will try it. Yes, I have been very busy in the kitchen and it keeps me happy!

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  3. wow! lovely idea, good way to use sweet potatoes. they look delicious.

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  4. This is "huat gao, " right? I love sweet potato & this steamed buns are definitely my cup of tea, hahaha!

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    Replies
    1. Jessie, this is similar to "huat kuih". I know you will sure make this with purple sweet potato :)

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  5. Hi Phong Hong, I've never tried these Mohor before. Our Penang Moho is different [tough and crumbly] and getting costly. Mostly bought for praying. Both colours of the Moho looks nice.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kimmy, this mohor is soft and moist. Very easy to make too.

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  6. hi phong hong, so mohor is fatt koh? when you mentioned at your last paragraph there to eat with grated coconut, i instantly think that it's so delicious! thank you so much for your sharing this method of making mohor!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lena, it is a version of fatt koh. Thanks to Wendy on the coconut. That girl has a thing for coconut hee..hee...

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  7. Hi Phong Hong, this reminds me of the steamed coconut fatt koh that I used to eat when I was a little girl, we ate with young grated coconut with a pinch of sugar and salt, so, so, so good! I missed that, have not seen it eaten with grated coconut over here. Thanks for the reminder, your mohor looks fabulous!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joyce. Why don't you make the mohor and relive your childhood joys?

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  8. Hi Phong Hong, this look really good. Don't think I've try this, thanks for sharing the recipe. Love the orange sweet potato.

    Have a nice week ahead.

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  9. wow.. they looks really delicious..

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  10. Healthy and yummy buns... Happy to follow ur lovely blog. Do join me when u find time

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    1. Hi Vimitha, thanks for coming by! Will visit you soon :)

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  11. Now I know another great kuih. Just check the ingredients and it does look exactly the same like Hokkien Huat kuih that my mom use to make. The difference is Hokkien version the batter is dough type but not so runny like you, thatswhy it can have smiling face ^_^

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    Replies
    1. Oh....now I know why cannot smiling :( Thanks for the info!

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  12. Wow PH, I was just away for a week and there are so many new posts! Thumbs up!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chef! I have been as busy as a bee with all the cooking :)

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  13. Never tried this before. We only have those plain white ones here... Must know how to make so will be nice and firm, otherwise may look the same but not the same - fail!

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    Replies
    1. Arthur, this one won't fail! I got it right the first time. So easy to make :)

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  14. Perfect timing - i have a bag of sweet potatoes in the fridge from last week, was just thinking what to make of it instead of the usual sweet potato soup. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. That's great, Esther! Looking forwards to see your sweet potatoes. Hee..hee...

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  15. I miss this a lot... It was taken when my granny still around... the traditional type with some coloring on top of the steamed bun with white. Btw, thanks for sharing my childhood snacks! :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Joan! You can make this at home and relive sweet childhood memories. Thanks for dropping by.

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  16. thanks for sharing this recipe. it is so hard to find mohor's recipe. thank you...craving for mohor as well

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