Vietnamese Corn Pudding Dessert (Chè Bắp Recipe)
Some of my most loved southeast Asian flavors melding into the most delicious rice-based Vietnamese "pudding". We've got glutinous rice by sweet corn complemented by an aroma of pandan, and a delicious creamy coconut topping.
Equipment
- Medium size pot, more thick is more effective
- blender
- Small sauce pan
- small mixing bowl
Ingredients
PANDAN WATER
- 12 pandan leaves cleaned and scrubbed thoroughly
- 1 cup of water
RICE
- 3 cups of water
- 1/3 cup of glutinous rice washed and drain
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
SUPPORTING CAST
- 500 grams of yellow corn kernels in raw form (~2-3 cups)
- 100 grams sugar
- 200 milliliters coconut cream(1/2 can)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or powder
- 2 Pandan leaves knotted into 3" large knots to ensure it will fit inside the pot without cutting
Thicker
- 1 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch
- 2 tbsp of water
COCONUT CREAM TOPPING
- 200 milliliters coconut cream remaining
- 1/2 of remaining 1/2
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or powder
- 1/2 tbsp of tapioca or corn starch
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the pandan leaves. Then blend with water until perfectly blended. Strain the pandan water and pour it to a large, thick size pot.
- Add the remaining rice ingredients, and bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low and close the lid to ensure a steady boiling. The rice should be cooked for about 15 minutes or until the glutinous rice has completely cooked and not becoming difficult or hard (test with a bite of a grain or by smacking the grain with your fingertips). The goal is to get it the rice being cooked to the point of being 'aldente however not as soft as porridge made of rice. Stir the pot only after 9 minutes because too much stirring can release excessive starch.
- Incorporate all supporting cast ingredients, the heat up to high, and bring it to a boil. Once it is at a boiling point reduce the heat to medium and keep it at a simmer for approximately 10 minutes or till the corn has completely cooked.in a bowl, mix ingredients to make a thinner until well blended, and then add into the saucepan. Increase the heat to high and stir continuously. Once it reaches a point of boiling, turn off the heat. This is a choice depending on your preference for thickness (or the amount of starch released from it was released)-you can adjust the amount up or down as you need to however note that the those properties that thicken the starch do not take effect until the water has reached a boil.
- Utilizing a small sauce pot In a small saucepan, mix in a small sauce pan the Coconut Cream topping components and cook on high continually stirring. When the mixture reaches a boil then turn off the heat. Make sure to cover this afterward until you are it is ready to serve, to avoid the top layer of the sauce from thickening.