Dinner with friends…

Wife: Whom should I be for Halloween?

Husband: Cat Woman…

Wife (beaming):

Husband: …’s aunt.

Wife:

Vietnamese mung bean pudding with coconut sauce (chè hoa cau)

(Adapted from Vanh Khuyen Le)

For the mung bean pudding:
150g yellow mung beans (soaked with water and 1 tsp salt for 4-8 hours)
1 small bunch of pandan leaves
1 liter water
160 g sugar
40 g tapioca flour + 1/3 cup water
A pinch of salt

For the coconut sauce:
400 ml coconut milk
1 tbs rice flour
40 g sugar
A pinch of salt

To make the mung bean pudding:

1. Layer a piece of cotton fabric in a steamer.
2. Steam the soaked mung beans with pandan leaves for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a saucepan, heat 1 liter water + 160 g sugar + pandan leaves from above until boil. Discard pandan leaves.
4. Lower the heat and add the mixture of tapioca flour + water, stirring constantly.
5. Add a pinch of salt.
6. After the mixture boils for 1-2 minutes, add 1/3 part of steamed mung beans, stir carefully.
7. Add another 1/3 part of steamed mung beans, and stir.
8. Add the remaining mung beans. Mix until combined and set aside.

To make the coconut sauce:

1. In a saucepan, mix coconut milk + rice flour + sugar + salt until fully combined.
2. Cook under medium heat and stir constantly until the sauce is thicken.

To serve:

1. Pour the pudding onto a small bowl.
2. Add a generous portion of coconut sauce on top.
3. Serve cold or warm.