Vietnamese Che Dau Trang is the hearty, ultra satisfying dessert you’ve been waiting for. It comes thick, glossy and beautifully creamy for the most drool-worthy rice pudding you’ll ever know. You’ll be so surprised at how EASILY this comes together!
The most indulgent Vietnamese dessert
There are only a few Vietnamese sweets that can convert a very picky dessert eater (me!) into a dessert lover. Che Dau Trang is certainly one of them.
Fortunately, this rich and sticky rice pudding is sold in pretty much every food district with a large Vietnamese community. But honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing out on until you’ve tried this homemade version.
Why this is a recipe you can trust
I can’t take credit for this particular recipe because it’s actually from one of my Mum’s closest friends, Aunty Lei. Che Dau Trang is the one dish she brings to every party and it gets devoured after a whole night’s banquet.
Every. Single. Time.
It’s a dessert that comes out super moist and sticky, infused with an intense pandan flavor.
Then when you stir the coconut cream into it, the black eyed peas RIPPLE through in a luscious melt-in-your-mouth moment.
It’s no wonder why this is the dish Aunty Lei is known for.
She has strolled through local Vietnamese stores asking for their best tips on how to perfect this recipe. And yes, I’ll be sharing them all here with you!
How this recipe works every time
- Adding natural pandan juice gives the rice pudding a wonderful fragrant flavor.
- Using rock sugar keeps it delicately sweet without overpowering the dessert.
- Mixing in a starch slurry helps to keep everything thick and incredibly enjoyable.
What you’ll need
For the che dau
About the ingredients
All the ingredients can be found in Asian supermarkets. You’ll find pandan leaves in the fresh produce.
The starch slurry is made with a mixture of potato starch and water.
For the coconut cream
About the ingredients
Coconut cream is available in Asian grocery stores and an increasing number of supermarkets.
How to make this recipe
The che dau
Soak the black eyed peas in 1 L (4 US cup) water with the baking powder for 3 hours.
Rinse the peas in cold water and discard any loose shells.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the peas for 20 minutes or until just cooked.
Bite into one to test if it’s ready or not. The center should be soft while the exterior still in tact.
Cut the pandan leaves into 2 cm (0.8″) segments.
Pour 1/4 US cup water into a blender with the cut pandan leaves and blitz on high for 1 minute.
Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle to pound at the pandan until its juices come out.
Put the pandan mixture in a clean cloth and squeeze the juice out into a bowl.
Wash and drain the glutinous rice, then bring 650 mL (2.7 US cup) water to a boil. Add the pandan juice in the pot along with the rice grains and sago.
Boil on high heat for 10 minutes or until the grains just start to expand.
Immediately pour in the cooked peas into the pot with the potato starch slurry. Keep mixing as you add the slurry to avoid clumping.
Note: Stir the slurry until the starch is completely mixed into the water before adding it in.
Add the rock sugar and salt while stirring gently to let it completey dissolve.
Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes or until it reaches your preferred consistency.
The coconut cream
Pour the coconut cream into a small pot and add the pandan leaves, sugar and salt. Bring it to a boil then turn off to cool completely.
To serve, fill a bowl up with warm or hot Che Dau Trang and a generous dollop of coconut cream!
FAQs
White sugar can certainly be substituted for rock sugar, but keep in mind that it has a sharper sweetness so you’ll have to adjust to your preference.
No. For Che Dau Trang, you’ll need a rich and thick cococut cream. Coconut milk is the result of blending coconut flesh with water whereas the cream is what rises and solidifies at the top after sitting for a period of time.
We use pandan extract for our Coconut Pandan Waffles (Bánh Kẹp) recipe, so I’m aware of just how strong the flavor is. If you’re not able to find fresh pandan leaves, I’d suggest only using 1-2 drops. Any more will turn the dessert green!
Tips for the best results
- Avoid overstirring. The more you stir, the higher the chance each rice grain and pea will break, resulting in a mushy texture. To make it easier, use a non-stick pot.
- Keep your eyes on the stove the entire time. When cooking the peas and glutinous rice grains, there’s a fine line between being just cooked to being overcooked. Stay close to make sure they’re not overdone and splitting!
- Smash the rock sugar before adding it in. This will help dissolving much faster and will allow you to adjust the sweetness to your liking.
More indulgent Vietnamese dessert recipes!
- Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie (Sinh Tố Bơ) – A thick, rich and creamy avocado shake that leaves you feeling refreshed and satisfied.
- Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Syrup (Chè Trôi Nước) – This is every dessert lover’s dream. Sticky, decadent rice balls in a sweet ginger syrup for the best way to reward yourself.
- Kem Chuối (Vietnamese Banana and Coconut Ice Cream) – The perfect healthy snack, you won’t regret trying out these EASY ice cream bars!
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Che Dau Trang (Sticky Rice Pudding with Black Eyed Peas)
Equipment
- Food processor/Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
For The Che Dau
- 1 US cup black eyed peas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 US cup glutinous rice
- 1 tsp sago
- 4 pandan leaves
- 80 g / 0.2 lb rock sugar (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- starch slurry (1 tbsp potato starch mixed with 1 tbsp water)
- 1 L / 4.2 US cup water (for soaking the peas)
- 60 mL / 1/4 US cup water (for blitzing with the pandan leaves)
- 650 mL (2.7 US cup) water (for cooking the glutinous rice)
The Coconut Cream
- 500 mL / 2.1 US cups coconut cream
- 2 pandan leaves (tied into a knot)
- 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
The Che Dau
- Soak the black eyed peas in 1 L (4 US cup) water with the baking powder for 3 hours.
- Rinse the peas in cold water and discard any loose shells.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the peas for 20 minutes or until just cooked. Bite into one to test if it's ready or not. The center should be soft while the exterior still in tact.
- Cut the pandan leaves into 2 cm (0.8") segments.
- Pour 1/4 US cup water into a blender with the cut pandan leaves and blitz on high for 1 minute. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle to pound at the pandan until its juices release.
- Put the pandan mixture in a clean cloth and squeeze the juice out into a bowl.
- Wash and drain the glutinous rice, then bring 650 mL (2.7 US cup) water to a boil. Add the pandan juice in the pot along with the rice grains and sago.
- Boil on high heat for 10 minutes or until the grains just start to expand.
- Immediately pour in the cooked peas into the pot with the potato starch slurry. Keep mixing as you add the slurry to avoid clumping.Note: Stir the slurry until the starch is completely mixed into the water before adding it in.
- Add the rock sugar and salt while stirring gently to let it completey dissolve.
- Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes or until it reaches your preferred consistency.
The Coconut Cream
- Pour the coconut cream into a small pot and add the pandan leaves, sugar and salt. Bring it to a boil then turn off to cool completely.
- To serve, fill a bowl up with warm or hot Che Dau Trang and a generous dollop of coconut cream!
Video
Notes
- Avoid overstirring. The more you stir, the higher the chance each rice grain and pea will break, resulting in a mushy texture. To make it easier, use a non-stick pot.
- Keep your eyes on the stove the entire time. When cooking the peas and glutinous rice grains, there's a fine line between being just cooked to being overcooked. Stay close to make sure they're not overdone and splitting!
- Smash the rock sugar before adding it in. This will help dissolving much faster and will allow you to adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- All the ingredients can be found in Asian supermarkets.
Wow, this rice pudding was delicious! Such great texture and very comforting.
Thanks, Emily!
Love everything about this recipe! I always forget how much I love black eyed peas!
Black eyed peas are quite delicious, aren’t they? 😉
I love the addition of black eyed peas! So unique and totally delicious!
It is! 😀
We have a very similar dessert using red beans instead of black eyed peas. I bet this must be just as delicious.
Red bean in this dessert sounds amazing!
This looks incredible. I enjoyed eating many che desserts when I visited Vietnam. It’s great to see a recipe of how they are made. Thanks for sharing this one. It is one to make for sure 🙂
I hope this che recipe tastes like what you remember from Vietnam, Rosemary!
Can I substitute tapioca Pearl’s for the sago? I cant seem to find sago here.
Hi Tara, tapioca pearls are quite different from sago in texture but if there’s no sago available, you can give it a go and see how it turns out. Just keep in mind you’ll need the smallest kind and the overall dessert might be slightly chewier than usual. Otherwise, just skip it altogether 🙂
Hi, I wasn’t able to find any Pandan leaves at any of my Asian markets. I bought a can of Pandan extract instead. How much Pandan extract will I need for the rice and how much will I need for the coconut cream?
Thanks.
Hi Linh, pandan extract is VERY strong so use 1-2 drops at most. If you find the pandan flavor isn’t strong enough after that, you can add 1 drop at a time until you get your desired taste. Just keep it mind that it also has a very bright green color and will turn everything green. If you want, you can even skip using it altogether.
Hi! Where can I find sago? Is there a particular bag or brand that you prefer?
Hi! I get sago from the Asian supermarket. The one we have in Australia is a brand with 2 coins as the logo, also known as Double Coins. I hope that helps!
Thank you!!!
You’re very welcome!
Hi, it’s 405kcal/100g, rights?
Hi! It’s for the whole 5 servings 🙂
Tried recipe for fun of it. Needs more rice in my opinion.
Hi, Lam! You can definitely add more rice to your preference for this recipe. I hope you get to try it again with more rice next time!