Che Dau Trang (Vietnamese Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk)

Since we were vaguely talking about che (Vietnamese dessert soup) (We were? Have you so quickly forgotten?), now was a good a time as any to post my recipe for Che Dau Trang (Vietnamese Dessert Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk). Unlike my recipe for Che Bap (Vietnamese Dessert Soup with Corn and Tapioca Pearls in Coconut Milk), there are no tapioca pearls in this che. Which was a good thing because when I made it, I had a craving for the coconut milk part of the dessert, but ran out of tapioca pearls. The white beans I used for this recipe are actually black-eyed peas, which was the way my ba noi (Vietnamese paternal grandmother) made it.


But before I get to the recipe, do you wanna hear a story? This is one of my sooo SoCal anecdotes that make living here so fun sometimes.

Years ago when I used to work in Orange County, I'd occasionally stop at the Banh Mi & Che CALI Bakery - Westminster (Little Saigon) to grab some sandwiches on the way home. At buy-2-get-1-free for $3, I always bought three sandwiches.

Every once in a while, if I saw a homeless guy sitting in front of the shop, I'd ask if he wanted a sandwich. To make it easier, I probably should have just offered one of my sandwiches on the way out. Because one time, one of the guys requested a #4, which was not the dac biet (special) and not eligible for the discount. Hmph! Man, I'm much too frugal to buy a sandwich that doesn't get me a discount, but I did ask, so I had to get it for him.

Anyway, another time, a different guy said another customer had already given him a sandwich but he'd love it if I bought him the che with the white beans and sticky rice. The amusing part? Both homeless men were white. :P


Che Dau Trang (Vietnamese Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk) 

For a 2-quart pot, you'll need:
1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
1 cup glutinous rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 15-oz can coconut milk

Optional: Crushed peanuts for serving.

Soak 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas overnight. Or if you're in a hurry, you can use canned beans, just make sure they're unsalted. Rinse beans and add to pot with 2 cups of water. Turn heat to high and when it boils, turn the heat down to medium-low to simmer for about half an hour for the beans to soften. Obviously, you can skip this step if using canned beans since they'd already be soft.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 can of coconut milk, and 1 cup uncooked glutinous rice and let simmer for another half hour to cook the rice until soft. I like my rice to be the consistency of rice porridge. Taste and add more sugar if you've got a sweeter tooth than mine.

Serve warm or cold.

Add a sprinkle of crushed peanuts on top if you wish.

Enjoy!

My other Vietnamese dessert recipes you might like:  
Che Bap (Vietnamese Pudding with Corn and Tapioca Pearls in Coconut Milk)
Coconut Flan
Mangoes with Sticky Rice (Vietnamese-Style)

*****  
1 year ago today, would you care for a spot of tea? An Asian-inspired tea party.