How to Cook Che Chuoi

Serves: 10

Preparation time: 10 mins + 75 mins (inactive)

Cooking time: 35 mins

Ingredients needed to make che chuoi:

• 10 Burro bananas, peeled
• 1 sliced mango, to garnish
• 2 ½ tbsp coconut cream
• 2 cans (14 oz ) coconut milk
• ½ cup tapioca pearls
• 4 pandan leaves, slightly bashed and tied in a knot
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, grated
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/8 tsp salt

Cooking instructions for che chuoi:

• Immerse the tapioca pearls in a bowl of cold water for an hour or overnight; drain and transfer it to a large pan.
• Pour in some water and then heat the mixture until it starts boiling.
• Reduce the heat to bring it to a simmer and continue to do so for about 15-20 minutes or until the pearls turn tender and gummy; drain and set aside.
• Empty 4 cups  of water in another saucepan and  and stir in ½ cup of granulated sugar as well as the palm sugar.
• Drop the knotted pandan leaves into it and heat the mixture until it begins to boil.
• Pour in the coconut milk and continue to cook the mixture over slow flame for about 5 minutes, while stirring frequently.
• Once the both kinds of sugar dissolves completely, drop the whole bananas into it and simmer the pudding for another 5 minutes, while stirring at times so that they are well coated with the ‘che’.
• Add the softened tapioca and stir very gently so that they don’t crumble and the bananas don’t turn mushy.
• Simmer the pudding for another couple minutes before transferring it to a serving bowl.
• Throw away the pandan leaves, cover and let it rest for about half an hour.
• Meanwhile, add rest of the granulated sugar into the small saucepan, along with a tbsp of water and light corn syrup.
• Cook them over moderately low heat while stirring with a wooden spoon until it turns into caramel syrup.
• Continue to cook the blend for another couple of minutes and then swiftly smear it across a sheet of parchment paper in thin lines.
• Top the caramel lines with sesame seeds and set aside until it cools down completely and is set.
• Peel off the candied sesame seeds from the parchment paper and sprinkle it on top of the che chuoi.
• Add a dollop of coconut cream on top and arrange the mango slices over it to garnish.
• Serve at room temperature or warm.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons