Desserts? Who doesn’t love desserts? There are so many Vietnamese desserts. The ones I remember most from my childhood are the different types of chè. There are chè đậu đen (black bean dessert), chè đậu xanh (mung bean dessert), and chè đậu trắng (black eyed peas dessert with sweet sticky rice). Growing up, my mom made a lot of chè for different special occasions such as Vietnamese New Year and/or giổ. Giổ is the day where we celebrate the life of our ancestors who have passed on.
The word chè is used to describe any soupy or pudding like desserts. They’re all topped with a generous amount of coconut milk. Because of its popularity, you will find chè being sold in plastic containers with lids in many Asian grocery stores.
What is chè đậu đen?
Chè đậu đen (black bean dessert) is a Vietnamese dessert made from black beans. Black beans are considered pulses. Pulses are seeds belonging to the legume family, and includes all beans, peas and lentils. They are known for their high protein and fiber content. Besides being good for your health, they are also inexpensive and versatile. So finally…a dessert that is “health-ish?”…perhaps 🙂
How to make chè đậu đen?
Making chè đậu đen requires a few, simple ingredients, beans, water, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. When my mom made chè đậu đen (black bean dessert), the process seemed like it took forever. Not sure if it was because I was young then, and when you’re young, everything took forever, but I remember having to wait for a long time 🙂 She had to soak the beans first, then cook it on the stove top until tender.
Although, I still use the stove top to make it on occasions, I find that as my son grows I seem to have less and less time in a day, even though there’s still 24 hours in a day. How is that even possible? This is where the pressure cooker comes in. Today I will show you how to make chè đậu đen (black bean dessert) using a pressure cooker, and a few simple ingredients (black beans, water, sugar, almond extract and coconut milk).
How to serve chè đậu đen?
It’s a versatile dessert, because it can be eaten hot or cold. There are also endless toppings for it. Some people serve it with just ice and a generous amount of coconut milk. Others serve it with tapioca pearls, coconut milk and ice or any combination thereof. Some recipes will call for added sugar in the coconut milk. However, I’m trying to cut back on the amount of sugar intake so I usually do not add any sugar to the coconut milk, but I did include instructions if you want to add sweetness to the coconut milk topping.
So the next time you’re in the mood for a dessert, give this healthy-ish dessert a try.
Chè Đậu Đen (Sweet Black Bean Dessert).
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw black beans
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus 2 tbsp for the coconut milk.
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt one for the black beans and one for the coconut milk
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Check the beans for any stones, debris mixed in with the beans.
- Soak the cup of raw black beans in a big bowl of water overnight, 24 hours if possible. You will see that the beans have expanded.
- Discard the water, rinse the beans then place them in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, and a pinch of salt.
- You can follow your pressure cooker's manual for cooking black beans. I cooked my beans on 'Hi' for 20 minutes.
- After the beans are cooked, carefully open the lid and stir in ½ cup of sugar.
- Add in almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside while making the coconut milk topping.
- Heat up a can of full fat coconut milk until warm to the touch. Then add a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, more if you want it sweeter.
- Place the sweet black beans in a bowl. Serve with a generous amount of coconut milk.
Click here for my chè đậu xanh recipe. If you like this post, feel free to share it on Facebook by using the button below.
