Vietnamese sticky rice pudding with black-eyed pea (Chè đậu trắng nếp nước cốt dừa, or simply Chè đậu trắng) is one of the most favorite traditional desserts in Vietnam. It is cooked from sticky rice, black-eyed peas, coconut milk, and sugar. The food reflects the characteristics of South Vietnam where sticky rice, peas, beans, coconuts are abundant. The food is a wonderful blend of smelling sticky rice, buttery and tender mung bean, sweet, a little salty, greasy coconut milk sauce.
The dessert is not only a delicious food but also a part of Southern and Central Vietnam culture. In Southern Vietnam and Central Vietnam, it is usually served as a dessert during the years, served to valuable guests, offered to the ancestors on important occasions such as Tet festival, the first happy birthday party, death anniversary, Worm-killing festival, Ghost festival, etc.
Vietnamese sticky rice pudding with black-eyed pea is also a popular street food which is sold at street food stalls on the pavements, in front of schools, universities, at local markets, at restaurants in the country.
Here is the recipe for Vietnamese sticky rice pudding with black-eyed pea:
Ingredients:
- Black-eyed peas: 300g
- Sticky rice: 100g
- Sugar: 200g
- Pandan leaves: 2-3
- Coconut milk: 250ml
- Tapioca starch: 10g
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
Directions:
Step 1:
- Cook black-eyed peas with water until tender, drain them off.
- Mix cooked black-eyed peas with 100g of sugar and leave for 30 minutes.
Step 2:
- Soak sticky rice for 3 hours or overnight better.
- Cook sticky rice with water until expanded.
- Add pandan leaves and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes.
Step 3:
- Add black-eyed peas to the sticky rice mixture, stir continuously.
- Season the mixture with sugar.
Step 4:
- Cook coconut milk, sugar, salt until boiling.
- Add a mixture of tapioca starch and cold water to the coconut milk mixture, stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.
Step 5:
- Put some sweet black-eyed peas to the sticky rice mixture into a bowl, add the sauce onto the mixture. It can be served hot or cold with some ice. Let enjoy the Vietnamese sticky rice pudding with black-eyed pea. Yummy!
