Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert (che Dau Den)

I am going to introduce an easy-to-make recipe with black bean, a great ingredient for dessert: Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert or "chè đậu đen".

• 2 cup of black beans
• 6 cup of water
• 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar
• A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• A can of coconut milk (about 13.5 oz)

Full instruction: Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert

Soaking the Black Beans: Rinse the 1 cup of black beans thoroughly under cold water with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let the beans soak for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight. Soaking helps soften the beans and reduces cooking time.

Roasting the Black Beans (optional): If you want to enhance the flavor of the beans more, there is one step more: after soaking, roast black beans in a skillet in 5 minutes until the beans' skin wrinkles; after that, you can cook the bean following the steps above.

Slicing the Ginger: While the beans are soaking, take your thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger. Use a knife to peel the ginger and then thinly slice it into thin rounds. Set aside the sliced ginger for later.

Full instruction: Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert

After 4 hours, place the rinsed black beans in your pressure cooker, Instant Pot or a regular pot. Add the sliced ginger, sugar and a pinch of salt to the pot. Pour in 3 cups of water to cover the beans and ginger.

Full instruction: Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert

Pressure cooking: Close the lid of your pressure cooker or Instant Pot, ensuring it's properly sealed. Set the cooker to high pressure and cook the beans for about 25-30 minutes. Exact timing may vary depending on your appliance, so consult the manual for guidance. Then, let the cooker release the steam slowly in the next 10-15 minutes before opening and check the beans. If it has not been cooked thoroughly yet, close the lid and cook in 10-15 minutes more.

Stovetop cooking: With stovetop, your waiting time will obviously be longer. It can take you 2-3 hours for the black bean to soften over medium heat. Add more water if necessary and check the beans every 30 minutes. Turn off the heat once the bean reaches your prefered softness.

Adjust the taste the last time. To serve Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert, you can top with coconut milk, grated coconut and crushed peanuts. You can also try to make tapioca pearl from tapioca starch (or just buy it in Asian market), boil it separately and add to the dessert.

Full instruction: Vietnamese Black Bean Dessert