Chè chuối chưng (banana tapioca pudding)
Every once in a while when the planets align the right way with the constellations, I get into cooking mode. Then I ask my mom how to make certain things, usually easy stuff, spend at least an hour at the grocery, another half a day in front of either the sink or the stove, washing, churning, tasting, sprinkling, and tasting again. Saying that I like to cook would be like saying students hate holidays, but somehow the little accomplishment at the end of a cooking session always makes me glee, partly because I wouldn’t have to worry about dinner in the few days after. (Since the first day I had a kitchen(ette), I’ve only made savory dishes.) This time is special: I didn’t spend half a day in the kitchen, and the little accomplishment is a dessert.
Now this might actually means I have che instead of rice for dinner in the next few days :-P, but all is well as my banana che is not in the least coyingly sweet like che from sandwich shops.
Recipe adapted from Mom’s instruction:
Chè chuối chưng (banana tapioca pudding) (“chưng” means “display”, in this case to indicate the type of banana one would use for this dessert, not “tapioca”)
Ingredients:
– About 3 lbs of just-ripe banana (~6 big Cavendish bananas, or 12-15 chuoi su if you can find them).
– 1 can of coconut milk
– 100-150g tapioca pearl (bột báng), the small kind (packaged as dry white dots ~1.5mm in diameter). I got a 400g package from 99 Ranch Market in El Cerrito, so I’d imagine every Asian market has a few packs tucked on their shelves.
– water, sugar, salt
– roasted peanuts (the plain, unflavored kind)
Preparation:
– Gently wash and rinse the bot bang with cold water once, then leave it soak in water.
– Cut the bananas into 2-3 inch long sections, soak in salt water (2 tsp salt for roughly half a big pot of water, the same pot you’re going to cook che in) for 5-10 minutes. This step is to get rid of, or at least reduce, the clinging underripe aftertaste of Cavendish banana in Vietnamese desserts; you can skip this step if you use chuoi su.
– Shell peanuts if necessary, then crush ’em up. (Mudpie puts them in a ziploc bag and pounds on them with an ice cream scoop, it works well :D)
– Take out the bananas, drain water, wash pot, put bananas back in. Pour 1 can of coconut milk into pot, then use the same can to measure and add 2 cans of water.
Cooking
– Wait for banana, coconut milk and water to boil, add a pinch of salt and a lot of sugar to taste. (I added about 10 tbs sugar when Mudpie expresses some concern, tastes, and stops me.)
– When the mixture boils, add bot bang (after draining them, of course), gently stir once or twice to spread them out evenly in the pot.
– Bot bang will expand, at least quadruple in size. Do not stir too much or you’d burst the pearls and get tapioca porridge. Let the pot bubble until the bot bang all turn completely translucent (if you see a tiny needle-point size dot of white in the center, it’s not cooked yet).
– Turn off the heat. The pudding will be quite fluid when it’s still hot, and will thicken as it cools down.
Serving
It can be served either hot or chilled, with or without some crushed roasted peanuts on top. Mudpie prefers it warm fresh from the pot, my mom prefers it refrigerated.
A small variation of che chuoi chung is chè bà ba, where you add taro (or cassava), cubed and cooked in coconut milk and water before the bananas. My mom says che chuoi chung is the simplest kind of che to make. As long as the bananas are soft and sweet, the tapioca pearls chewy and fully puffed, the coconut milk gives just a shy squeeze of fruity richness, and the pudding smells like a ripe summer afternoon, you know someone will come back for a second bowl of your chè chuối chưng.
– Submission to Delicious Vietnam 10, a monthly blogging event created by Anh of A Food Lover’s Journey and Hong & Kim from Ravenous Couple – This February edition is hosted by me, so send your delicious writings (your name, your blog’s name, post title, and a brilliant image of the dish) to mai [at] flavorboulevard [dot] com by Sunday February 13. 🙂
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a totally different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
1This is a topic close to my heart cheers, where are your contact details though?
2I got what you intend, appreciate it for posting.Woh I am happy to find this website through google. “I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out.” by Steven Wright.
3Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!…
4I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent information I was looking for this info for my mission.
5Together with everything that appears to be developing within this specific subject material, many of your perspectives are quite radical. However, I am sorry, because I do not give credence to your whole idea, all be it refreshing none the less. It would seem to everybody that your remarks are actually not completely validated and in actuality you are your self not entirely certain of your argument. In any case I did enjoy reading through it.
6Hello, you used to write magnificent, but the last few posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your great writings. Past few posts are just a little out of track! come on!
7Usually I don’t read post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice article.
8I like this web blog its a master peace ! Glad I observed this on google .
9I am lucky that I found this web site, just the right information that I was searching for! .
10Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such fantastic info being shared freely out there.
11Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your article seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Kudos
12I’d like to find out more? I’d love to find out more details.
13Attractive element of content. I simply stumbled upon your blog
14and in accession capital to claim that I get actually enjoyed account
your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing in your
augment or even I achievement you access persistently
rapidly.
This website online is known as a stroll-by way of for all the information you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and you’ll positively uncover it.
15hello there and thank you to your information – I have definitely picked up something new from proper here. I did alternatively expertise a few technical points the use of this website, since I skilled to reload the site lots of times previous to I may get it to load properly. I had been thinking about if your web hosting is OK? No longer that I’m complaining, but slow loading circumstances instances will very frequently impact your placement in google and can harm your high quality score if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Well I’m including this RSS to my e-mail and can glance out for much more of your respective interesting content. Make sure you replace this again soon..
16Everyone loves what you guys are usually up too. This type of clever work and reporting! Keep up the wonderful works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to blogroll.
17When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
18I view something truly interesting about your website so I saved to bookmarks.
19When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any approach you may remove me from that service? Thanks!
20I conceive this website holds some real excellent info for everyone. “I prefer the wicked rather than the foolish. The wicked sometimes rest.” by Alexandre Dumas.
21Hi, Neat post. There’s an issue with your site in internet explorer, may test this… IE still is the market leader and a huge section of people will leave out your fantastic writing because of this problem.
22Good day very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally…I am glad to seek out numerous useful information right here within the publish, we want work out extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing.
23Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
24That is very fascinating, You’re an overly skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look ahead to in quest of more of your magnificent post. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks!
25You actually make it appear so easy with your presentation however I find this topic to be actually one thing that I think I would never understand. It sort of feels too complex and very large for me. I am looking forward on your next publish, I will try to get the hang of it!
26I went over this internet site and I conceive you have a lot of good information, saved to fav (:.
27I was looking through some of your articles on this internet site and I believe this internet site is really informative ! Keep on putting up.
28It’s appropriate time to make a few plans for the long run and it’s time to be happy. I’ve learn this submit and if I may just I wish to recommend you some fascinating things or suggestions. Perhaps you can write subsequent articles relating to this article. I want to read even more things approximately it!
29excellent post.Ne’er knew this, thanks for letting me know.
30I genuinely enjoy looking at on this web site, it has got great articles. “The living is a species of the dead and not a very attractive one.” by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.
31This web page is known as a walk-through for all the information you wished about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you’ll undoubtedly uncover it.
32You have observed very interesting points! ps decent web site. “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.” by Conan Doyle.
33I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
34Thanks for this post, I am a big big fan of this web site would like to continue updated.
35You have brought up a very fantastic points, appreciate it for the post.
36Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for! “I live in company with a body, a silent companion, exacting and eternal.” by Eugene Delacroix.
37hey there and thank you for your information – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical issues using this web site, as I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..
38I want to show some appreciation to you just for rescuing me from this particular dilemma. Because of scouting throughout the world-wide-web and finding principles which were not powerful, I was thinking my life was well over. Being alive without the presence of solutions to the problems you have sorted out all through your main report is a serious case, as well as ones that would have in a wrong way affected my career if I hadn’t come across your web site. The knowledge and kindness in touching all the things was priceless. I am not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t encountered such a thing like this. I can at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks very much for this high quality and sensible guide. I will not hesitate to endorse your web site to anybody who should have care on this situation.
39I just couldn’t depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard info a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be back often in order to check up on new posts
40Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
41I’m so happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
42Very interesting subject , thankyou for posting.
43Regards for this marvelous post, I am glad I detected this web site on yahoo.
44Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!
45Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was looking for!
46Hello, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boringK I miss your tremendous writings. Past several posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
47Good day! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
48Needed to create you that tiny note in order to give many thanks as before about the wonderful guidelines you have provided at this time. It has been quite surprisingly generous with people like you to make openly what exactly a few individuals might have distributed as an electronic book to generate some money for themselves, mostly considering the fact that you might have tried it if you decided. These points in addition served like a fantastic way to know that most people have the identical dream the same as my own to see way more regarding this issue. I am sure there are several more fun opportunities in the future for many who take a look at your website.
49I visited a lot of website but I believe this one has something special in it in it
50