Chè hạt sen is a lotus seed sweet soup, and this version also has cereal (green rice flakes) stirred through it, so the bowl carries the fragrance of lotus along with the rice flakes. It is one of the author’s favourite Vietnamese desserts. You can eat it hot or cold, and it is especially good on hot days. Photo: Phương Huy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The recipe has only four steps. You can buy them at any Vietnamese market. Ingredients 300 g dried or fresh lotus seeds 100 g dry or fresh cereal (green rice flakes) 1/4 cup cassava flour 1/4 cup white sugar How to make chè hạt sen 1. Cook the lotus seeds Clean the dried lotus seeds. If you use fresh lotus seeds, remove the centre of each seed to clean them. Bring a pot of water to the boil, drop in the lotus seeds and cook them over low heat. 2. Prepare the rice flakes and the flour Put the dry cereal (green rice flakes) in a bowl and sprinkle a little water over it so it turns pliable (“plastic” in the original). Put the cassava flour in a bowl, add a little water and stir until the flour dissolves. 3. Sweeten the lotus seeds Take care with this last stage. Simmer the lotus seeds until they open up like flower buds. Add the sugar to the pot and cook over low heat so the lotus seeds absorb the sugar. 4. Thicken and finish Slowly pour the bowl of cassava flour into the pot, mixing well with a tablespoon. Keep it boiling over low heat until the flour is cooked (the original says “baking powder” here; the ingredient list has no baking powder). If you want the soup thicker or thinner, adjust the amount of flour and water to suit, and taste for sugar. Turn off the stove. Keep stirring with one hand while you sprinkle the cereal in with the other. You can save a little cereal (green rice flakes) to sprinkle over the surface so it looks nice. Ladle the sweet soup into bowls and serve it hot or cold, as you prefer. The author’s suggestion is to eat it with a little ice, which is even better on hot days. Share:
