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Chè chuối (banana and tapioca in coconut milk)
Banana tapioca coconut dessert
Chè chuối chưng: small bananas and tapioca pearls in warm coconut milk with sesame and peanuts
Mekong Delta households, where banana trees line every canal, make chè chuối when the fruit is ripe and plentiful, and Saigon sweet-soup stalls sell it warm in the evening. Short, sweet bananas soften in coconut milk thickened with tapioca pearls, turning slightly pink as they cook, and the bowl is finished with toasted sesame and crushed peanuts. It is eaten warm, never iced. Chef's tip: use firm, just-ripe bananas; very soft ones dissolve into mush before the tapioca is cooked.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 small ripe bananaslady finger or 'chuối sứ', or 3 regular bananas, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ oz small tapioca pearlssoaked 15 minutes
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 2 pandan leaves (optional)knotted, optional
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 oz roasted peanutscrushed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toss 6 small ripe bananas with ¾ oz sugar and ¼ tsp salt and leave 10 minutes, until they look glossy and slightly softened.
10 minStep 2: Bring 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 300 ml of water, the rest of 1 ¾ oz sugar and 2 pandan leaves to a gentle simmer in a saucepan over a medium heat.
5 minStep 3: Drain 1 ¾ oz small tapioca pearls and stir it in. Simmer, stirring often so it does not stick, for 8–10 minutes until the pearls are nearly clear with only a tiny white dot left.
9 minStep 4: Add the bananas and their juices and simmer gently for 5 minutes, until they are tender and blushing pink at the edges but still whole, and the pearls are fully clear.
5 minStep 5: Remove the pandan, ladle into bowls and scatter with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 oz roasted peanuts. Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chè chuối (banana and tapioca in coconut milk) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small ripe bananas?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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