Mo Kaeng Cheesecake
Mo Kaeng Cheesecake
When the Portuguese set sail for Southeast Asia in the early 1500s (notably the then Kingdom of Siam) as colonizers and missionaries, they brought with them a variety of ingredients and foods that would shape Thai cuisine for centuries to come. In fact, the Portugese were actually noteable for bringing chili peppers (which Thai heat is now known for today!) as well as tomatoes, pineapples and other spices.
The Portuguese also brought an array of desserts that influenced one of the most popular categories of Thai desserts… Custards! But, as Thais do, when taking influence from foreign cuisine, they add their own regional ingredients and flair resulting in one of my favorite desserts: Khanom Mo Kaeng. This is mung bean custard is traditionally made with coconut cream, mung beans, palm sugar, duck eggs, and whole lot of shallots. It's sweet, creamy, and (believe it or not) is even enhanced by the savory fried shallots.
In Thai fashion, I'm gave this classic Thai dessert a Thai-American spin by turning into a cheesecake! And spoiler alert: it's really, really tasty. It's even creamier thanks to copious amounts of cream cheese yet still has that classic sweet mung bean taste that the custard is beloved for. The fried shallots are a non-negotiable and once you try it for yourself you'll understand why.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized shallot, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons cup coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
- ¼ cup steamed hulled mung beans
- 1 ½ cups almonds (or almond meal)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅓ tablespoon sugar substitute
- 2 (8-ounce) cream cheese blocks
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
Directions
- Add the shallot slices and oil into a small frying pan and heat the pan over medium heat. Fry until golden-brown, about five to seven minutes. Transfer to a paper towel and set aside. Reserve the remaining oil.
- In a blender or food processor, add a tablespoon of the reserved shallot oil, steamed mung beans, and coconut cream and blend until thoroughly pureed.
- Make the crust: In a food processor or blender, crush the almonds until it turns into an almond meal (or flour), some partially whole pieces are totally OK. Add to a mixing bowl with melted butter and sugar.
- Add the almond mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch baking pan, pressing down to smooth with the bottom of a cup or mug. Bake for 12 at 350 degrees F and set aside to cool.
- Make the filling: Make the filling: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until just combined–do not over mix. Add the sour cream and eggs (one at a time) until smooth. Add in mung bean mixture, almond extract, salt, cornstarch, and blend until just combined.
- Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and pour mixture into the baking dish (tap against the counter a few times to smooth out and release air bubbles). Bake for 45 minutes until edges are slightly puffed; transfer to a rack to let cool for an hour before covering with foil and letting it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
