Kue Hunkwe Pisang - Banana and Mung Bean Starch Cake

Walk around any traditional Indonesian market, and you will soon notice that many traditional Indonesian desserts are different from Western desserts. Instead of wheat flour, Indonesian desserts use rice flour, glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch, or mung bean starch. They are also mostly steamed or fried and rarely baked in an oven.

The most popular Indonesian treats with mung bean starch (Tepung Hunkwe) are Hunkwe Pisang. If you like this cake and would love another recipe using mung bean starch, you can try my Ongol-Ongol Hunkwe recipe.

Ingredients for Kue Hunkwe Pisang

• banana
• mung bean starch (Tepung Hunkwe)
• sugar
• salt
• coconut milk

Choose firm but ripe bananas. You can use overripe banana for my rice cooker banana cake or double chocolate banana cake.

This cake is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is an easy recipe to master, and it will become your favorite cake to serve when hosting family and friends with restrictive dietary concerns.

What is Hunkwe?

Hunkwe is traditional Indonesian cake made with tepung hunkwe (mung bean starch). There are many brands to choose from, but the most famous brand in Indonesia is Cap Boenga (flower brand).

In the United States, I find it easier to find mung bean starch from Korea. In the Asian grocery store I frequent, mung bean starch is in the same aisle as tapioca starch, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and mochiko.

Indonesian vs. Korean mung bean starch

There are two differences between Indonesian and Korean mung bean starch:

1. Indonesian mung bean starch comes in an oblong paper packet, and it usually weighs 100 grams. Korean mung bean starch comes in plastic packaging, and it usually weighs 1 lb (450 grams).
2. Indonesian mung bean starch has vanilla in it, so it is only suitable for making dessert. Korean mung bean starch is pure starch and doesn’t contain any vanilla. Please add a teaspoon of vanilla if you use Korean mung bean starch for this recipe.

How to make Kue Hunkwe Pisang

1. Line an 8"x8" cake pan with saran wrap. Add enough banana slices to cover the bottom of the pan and set aside.

2. Mix mungbean starch, sugar, salt, and coconut milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring at all times. The batter is ready once the liquid is thick and bubbles like hot mud.
   TIPS: The liquid is at first thin and runny. As you stir, some lumps will start to appear, and soon the whole pot will turn lumpy and bumpy, and finally, it will become smooth and thick.

3. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan, gently tapping the pan to level and smoothen the batter.

4. Set the pan aside at room temperature until the cake sets. Once set, chill the cake in the fridge for one hour.

5. To serve, remove the cake from the pan and cut it into 16 serving portions. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.