Chè đậu ván is a Vietnamese sweet soup of hyacinth beans in a pandan and brown sugar syrup, thickened with tapioca starch. It comes originally from Huế and is simple to cook. You can eat it hot in winter or with ice in summer. Plan ahead: the beans are brought to the boil and then left overnight, so start the day before. Ingredients 300 g hyacinth beans Brown sugar cubes, to taste 50 g pandan leaves 6 teaspoons tapioca starch ½ teaspoon vanilla powder A little salt 3–4 bowls of water, plus 100 ml for the starch How to make chè đậu ván 1. Soak the beans overnight Put the hyacinth beans in a pot with enough cold water to cover them all. Bring to the boil, then leave them overnight. 2. Skin and steam the beans The next day, wash the beans and rub off all the skins. Throw out any beans that float, because floaters are poor quality. Wash the beans well again and steam them until soft. 3. Make the syrup Bring 3–4 bowls of water to the boil with brown sugar to taste and a little salt. Tie the pandan leaves into a bundle and add them to the pot. Mix the tapioca starch with 100 ml of water and pour it slowly into the pot, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Stop once the syrup has thickened. 4. Add the beans Add the steamed beans and stir gently so they don’t break. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat, add the vanilla and give it one more gentle stir. 5. Serve Serve it hot on cold days, or with ice in summer. In the south, people love it with coconut syrup on top. To make it, you need coconut milk, sugar, tapioca starch and pandan leaves. Share:
