AI-generated image
Chè kho (mung bean fudge pudding)
Golden mung bean paste stirred with sugar until thick, scented with grapefruit blossom, set and sliced
On New Year's Eve and the last days of Tết, Hanoi families place a plate of chè kho on the ancestors' altar: a smooth, golden mung bean fudge whose sweetness asks for a gentle, prosperous year. 'Kho' means cooked down dry, and that is the whole technique, stirring the bean purée with sugar until it becomes a thick, glossy paste that can be cut. It tastes nutty and delicately floral from grapefruit-blossom water, with a crunch of sesame on top. Serve small slices with lotus or green tea. Chef's tip: use a heavy non-stick pan and a wooden spoon, and never leave it; the paste catches in seconds once it thickens.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz split peeled mung beanssoaked 2–3 hours, drained
- 2 cups water
- 7 oz white sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp grapefruit blossom wateror 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the dish
- 2 tbsp white sesame seedstoasted
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 10 ½ oz split peeled mung beans and 2 cups water in a heavy pan, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the beans are soft and the water is absorbed.
25 minStep 2: Mash the beans to a smooth purée with a potato masher or blend with a splash of water.
5 minStep 3: Stir in 7 oz white sugar and ¼ tsp salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 20–25 minutes. The purée loosens, then thickens, turns glossy and golden, and pulls away from the pan in one mass. Common mistake: stopping when it merely looks thick; undercooked chè kho will not set enough to slice.
25 minStep 4: Take off the heat and stir in ½ tsp grapefruit blossom water.
1 minStep 5: Brush a small tray or plate with 1 tsp neutral oil, spread the paste about 2 cm thick and smooth the top with an oiled spatula. Scatter with 2 tbsp white sesame seeds and press it lightly in.
4 minStep 6: Cool for at least 1 hour until firm, then cut into diamonds or squares. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chè kho (mung bean fudge pudding) take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushroomsBraised tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan