Vietnamese Sticky Rice and Black-Eyed Pudding (Che Dau) Recipe

Rice is essential at every Asian dinner table. Every Asian meal consists mainly of rice accompanied with savory dishes of meat or sea foods, vegetables and some soups or salads. I am sure you all familiar with rice especially if you like oriental foods. Most common rice dish in Chinese, Thai or other Asian restaurants is fried rice. But have you ever tried rice as desserts ?. One of famous dessert made from rice is Thai sticky rice and mango. But on this page, I would like to introduce something new than sticky rice and mango. This dessert is sweet soup (che) from Vietnam and made of glutinous rice and black-eyed beans.

Che dau usually serve as warm dessert during cold rainy season or cold dessert during hot summer day. This hearty dessert is easy to make and very delicious, also gluten and dairy free. You just need few basic ingredients: black-eyed beans, glutinous rice, coconut milk, salt and sugar to taste this simple yet sweet and milky dessert. Sprinkle with some roasted peanut to balance the texture. Bon appetit.

Ingredients:

5 cups water

1/2 cup dried black -eyed bean

1/2 cup glutinous rice

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

crushed roasted peanut for garnish

coconut sauce (see recipe bellow)

1. Rinse beans and soak it in plenty of water overnight.  Alternatively you can use unsalted canned beans to make cooking process faster.
2. Place black-eyed beans in a a small saucepan and cover with 2 cups water. Bring it to boil over medium-high heat and when it boils, reduce heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for about  30 minutes to soften the beans. If you are using canned bean, skip this step since your beans is cooked and soft. 
3. In another saucepan, place glutinous rice and 2 cups water. Bring it to boil over medium heat. When it boils, reduce the heat into medium low and simmer it for about 30 minutes to cook rinse until it's soft.  It should be soupy, thick and soft, yet the consistency to be like porridge. 
4. Add black-eyed beans, coconut milk, sugar and salt into the rice pudding. Stir in to mix it well and adjust the taste. Add more sugar if you like it sweeter.  Salt is needed to bring out the savory of coconut milk.  Remove from the heat. Serve it with some coconut sauce and sprinkle it with roasted peanut. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut milk

salt

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

Combine water and one teaspoon cornstarch.

In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk and salt over medium heat. When it boils, stir in cornstarch mixture. Stir sauce vigorously until it thickens. Remove from the heat and set it cool.