Che Dau Trang Black Eyed Peas Rice Pudding
Please welcome Bao, of Triple Scoop Desserts, a photographer, blogger, and self proclaimed lover of all things ice cream. Triple Scoop Desserts is all about ice cream and has some amazing recipes so please check it out. We’re lucky to have Bao make and share one of his favorite childhood treats that wasn’t ice cream, che dau trang! Legumes are a big part of Vietnamese desserts so this will be just one of many to come!
It is great to be able to fill in here and give Hong and Kim time to get ready for their special wedding day. I know their wedding is going be full of love and magic and everything will go according to plan.
Today I have the pleasure of showing you how to make one of my childhood desserts. This is my mom’s favorite and she used to make it for my family often. Che Dau Trang is a typical Vietnamese dessert — it is simple, sweet and has a touch of creamy coconut milk. The dessert can be eaten warm; but, during the summer months I like to eat this dessert chilled straight from the refrigerator. The sweet rice with the soft beans and creamy coconut sauce combine together for a velvety feel with just a bit of texture from the beans.
It been a pleasure to contribute to The Ravenous Couple blog. It is one of my favorite blogs to read, not only for the recipes and creative photos but for stories that make it unique. Here is to wishing you a happy life together full of great experiences and fantastic eats,
Ingredients
Che Dau Ingredients:
- 1 cup glutinous sweet rice
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 black eyed peas 16 oz can
Coconut Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 coconut milk 16 oz can
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- In an 8-cup sauce pan add the sweet rice with the 4 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat. The rice will be cooked in 20-30 minutes. I suggest you stir the rice in the final 5-10 minutes of cooking, because sweet rice tends to stick to the bottom of the pan rather easily. You want the finished rice to be a little runny but not thick as mashed potatoes. You can always add a few teaspoons of water to loosen the rice if it is too thick.
- Once the rice has finished cooking, turn off the stove. Drain and rinse a can of black eyed peas and then add it to the sweet sticky rice. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and fold everything together. Transfer the che into a heat proof bowl and let it cool before placing it into the refrigerator.
- To make the coconut sauce, pour a can of coconut milk into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the half and half to make a slurry and then slowly stir it into the simmering coconut milk. Mix in the sugar and then turn off the heat.
- To serve, scoop a few spoonfuls of the che into a bowl and then drizzle with a few spoons of the coconut sauce and enjoy. I've also seen this che topped off with crushed peanuts and roasted sesame seeds, so if you have those ingredients around give it a try.
