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Chè bắp (sweet corn pudding)
Chè bắp: fresh corn kernels and sticky rice cooked into a pudding, crowned with salted coconut cream
Hội An's riverside villages grow a sticky, sweet local corn, and chè bắp has been sold in its old town for generations; in Saigon it is a summer evening favourite at street stalls. Fresh kernels are cooked with a little glutinous rice until thick and spoonable, sweetened, and topped with a ribbon of salty coconut cream. The cobs simmer in the water first to give the pudding a deep corn flavour. Chef's tip: add the sugar only after the rice is soft; sugar added early stops glutinous rice from swelling and leaves hard grains.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Pudding
- 3 corn on the cobkernels cut off, cobs kept
- 2 ⅛ oz glutinous (sticky) ricesoaked 1 hour
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 2 pandan leavesknotted
- 1 tbsp tapioca starchmixed with 2 tbsp water
Coconut topping
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp tapioca starchmixed with 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer the stripped cobs from 3 corn on the cob with 2 pandan leaves in 1.2 litres of water for 15 minutes until the water smells strongly of corn. Lift out and discard the cobs and pandan.
15 minStep 2: Add drained 2 ⅛ oz glutinous (sticky) rice and simmer, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes until the grains are soft and the liquid has thickened.
13 minStep 3: Stir in the corn kernels and 2 ⅞ oz sugar and cook 5 minutes more, until the kernels are tender and sweet.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp tapioca starch and cook 1 minute, stirring, until the pudding turns glossy and coats the spoon.
1 minStep 5: For the topping, warm ¾ cup coconut cream with ¼ tsp salt over a low heat, stir in 1 tsp tapioca starch and stir for 1 minute until thick and smooth; do not boil hard.
2 minStep 6: Spoon the pudding into bowls, warm or at room temperature, pour over the coconut cream and sprinkle with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chè bắp (sweet corn pudding) take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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