Mung Bean Jelly (綠豆涼粉)

Here is a nice cold dish for the summer, or an appetizer for any season:

I. Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Mung Bean Starch powder, from any Chinese Market (see product package below). Note- The product package shows "Green" Bean Starch, in English, a misnomer.
2. A nonstick 8" x 8" x 1" baking pan. Note- Need the 1" depth to hold the boiling hot jelly safely, in Step 3 below.
   
   

II. Mung Bean Jelly

1. Add 1/2 cup of mung bean starch powder into a 1-cup measuring cup.  Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of water, and stir till fully dissolved. 
2. Boil 3.5 cups of water in a medium-sized pot, and let simmer at low heat. Gradually pour in the starch mixture prepared in Step 1, while stirring constantly till bubbles come up to the surface consistently and the mixture level starts to rise (by now mixture in the pot turns somewhat-transparent). Turn off heat. Note- Use 3 cups of water (vs 3.5 cups above), for slightly harder jelly. Also, corn starch can be used if mung bean starch is hard to find. Use 2.5 cups of water in Step 2 (vs 3.5 cups), because Corn Starch Jelly ends up much more watery.
3. Slowly and gradually pour the boiling hot mixture into a nonstick 8" x 8" x 1" baking pan. Let sit for 2-3 hours at room temperature.  
4. Insert a plastic knife around the edges of the jelly pan, and carefully flip the jelly out onto a large plate. Cut the jelly into 1/2" x 1/2" x 1" slices, and add into the Smashed Cucumber Salad we posted early. Note- Keep the unused jelly at room temperature, because refrigeration hardens the jelly.