Luke Nguyen

Aunty Eight’s Sweet Corn Pudding

Chè Bắp Dì Tám

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Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Serves

    4-6

Appears in

top 1000The Songs of Sapa

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

  • About

AUNTY EIGHT, AUNTY NINE, MUM AND DAD ARE ALL COOKING IN THE SAME ROOM — THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA. WE ARE IN AUNTY EIGHT’S MARKET PLACE, USING HER CORN AND MAKING HER SWEET CORN PUDDING WHEN AN ARGUMENT BREAKS OUT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT SHE SHOULD BE USING STICKY RICE AND PANDAN LEAVES. ALL PARTIES INVOLVED HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS AND, OF COURSE, THEIR IDEAS WERE BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE’S. SO BEGAN THE SWEET CORN COOK OFF – FOUR VERSIONS OF SWEET CORN PUDDING, WHICH WE THEN HAD TO EAT FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. MY VOTE IS FOR AUNTY EIGHT’S RECIPE, AS IT IS THE MOST AUTHENTIC.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) white sticky (glutinous) long-grain rice
  • 2 pandan leaves, each tied in a knot
  • 6 corn cobs, kernels removed using a large sharp knife
  • 150 g (5½ oz/⅔ cup) sugar
  • 150 ml (5 fl oz) coconut milk
  • 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) sweet coconut milk
  • toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Method

Wash the sticky rice in cold water and strain. Repeat this process again. Put the sticky rice in a heavy-based saucepan along with the pandan leaves and 625 ml (21 fl oz/2½ cups) of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until the rice expands and the water has absorbed.

Now add the corn kernels and sugar and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk and continue to stir for 2 minutes. Discard the pandan leaves. Serve in small bowls and top with the sweet coconut milk and toasted sesame seeds.

© 2009 All rights reserved. Published by Murdoch Books.

Photos