On every first day of the lunar month, market vendors produce these little cakes for sale at their stalls. They are a popular offering at altars for the ancestors and can, of course, be enjoyed by the living after the joss sticks have burnt down.

500 g dried mung beans

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons grated coconut

½ teaspoon salt

Put the mung beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 3 hours. Drain well and put the mung beans in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Cook the mung beans over low heat for 30–40 minutes, or until they are soft.

Drain the mung beans. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to process or pound the mung beans into a smooth paste.

Combine the sugar and 125 ml of water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the mung bean paste, coconut and salt, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Line two wooden moulds or bowls with plastic wrap. Spoon the mung bean mixture into the moulds and press it down, then set aside to cool.

Turn the mung bean cakes out of the moulds and onto small plates. Serve with Vietnamese green tea.