Che Dau Xanh Sau Rieng

My first time eating this Vietnamese dessert cooked with durian and mung bean was when my sister bought some to-go from Phan Thi Truoc restaurant in Arlington, Texas. I didn’t cooked mine with coconut milk but I think it’s very close to their version, just not as super thick like theirs. This mommy and little foodie chef loves anything with durian! It’s a love it or hate it fruit if you have never ate or smelled durian before.

I promised my little foodie to cook some che last night. She dragged me out of bed early this morning demanding for che. So here we go.

Ingredients:

1 cup of yellow mung bean
2 tbsp tapioca pearls
1.5 Tbsp corn starch powder mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar (add more to your preference)
1/2 tsp salt
6 cups of water
1 piece of durian fruit (frozen or fresh)

Direction:

1. Soak the tapioca pearls with just enough water to cover it.

2. Rinse the yellow mung beans until the water is clear.

3. I used one piece of durian from this frozen container.

4. In a 2-quart pot, pour in 6 cups of water.

5. Dump the yellow mung beans into the pot of water. Bring the pot to a boil.

6. I pureed the seedless durian in a smoothie blender. (My camera battery died on me so I had to recharge it. There’s no image for this part. Oopsie.)

7. Once the pot is boiling, lower heat to medium (#7 on my stove). Add in the cup of sugar, pinch of salt, and the pureed durian.

8. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium high. Pot is always in lightly boiling condition. Add in the soaked tapioca pearls. Cook for another five minutes and add in the corn starch mixed with water. Stir well so the durian is blended into the che. Turn off stove and set the pot aside to a cooler surface.