I don't know why it's called Ma Tai Sar, cos 'sar' means sand... but the water chestnuts are not chopped until they're fine like sand..
Normally I'll make it without the tong yuen, but after trying it at a wedding luncheon in Taiping, I found it to be quite nice.
Ma Tai Sar with Tong Yuen (water chestnut dessert with dumplings)
Ingredients:
8 cups water
3 pandan leaves (shredded and knotted)
1 cup water chestnuts (about 8-10, peeled and chopped finely)
250 gm rock sugar(or 1 cup sugar)
3/4 cup corn starch (easier to buy than water chestnut starch)
1 cup water
1 egg (beaten)
1 package of frozen tong yuen (black sesame fillings or whichever u may prefer)
Method:
1. Boil 8 cups water with the pandan for 10 minutes or until u can smell the fragrance in the living room..
2. Take out the pandan leaves (if not, the water chestnuts will be hiding in the leaves).
3. Put in the water chestnuts and rock sugar.
4. Boil for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix 1 cup water with corn starch. Pour in and stir well.
6. Bring to a boil and drizzle in the egg while stirring continuously.
7. Turn off the fire and serve with cooked sesame dumplings (cooked according to packaging).
