A Beginner’s Guide to Making Traditional Vietnamese Desserts

Vietnamese desserts are celebrated for their unique flavors, textures, and vibrant colors. Rich in history and cultural significance, these sweets often incorporate ingredients like coconut, rice, and tropical fruits. For those interested in exploring the world of traditional Vietnamese desserts, this beginner’s guide will provide essential information and simple recipes to get you started.

Essential Ingredients in Vietnamese Desserts

Before diving into the recipes, it’s important to familiarize yourself with some staple ingredients commonly used in traditional Vietnamese desserts:

  • Coconut Milk: A rich and creamy base used in many desserts, adding sweetness and a tropical flavor.
  • Rice Flour: A key ingredient in many Vietnamese sweets, often used to create chewy textures.
  • mung beans: Often steamed or mashed, mung beans serve as a nutritious base for many sweets.
  • Tapioca Pearls: Used in puddings and desserts, these small pearls add a chewy quality to the dishes.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: Commonly used for additional sweetness, it helps enhance the flavors of many desserts.

Simple Recipes for Traditional Vietnamese Desserts

1. Chè Ba Màu (Three-Color Dessert)

Chè Ba Màu is a visually stunning and flavorful dessert made with mung beans, red beans, and pandan jelly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mung beans
  • 1 cup red beans
  • 1 cup tapioca pearls
  • Pandan leaves (for coloring)
  • Coconut milk
  • Ice (optional)
  • Sweetened condensed milk (to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Soak mung beans and red beans overnight. Cook them until soft.
  2. Prepare pandan jelly by blending pandan leaves with water and straining the mixture. Mix with agar-agar to set.
  3. Cook tapioca pearls until translucent and set aside.
  4. In serving glasses, layer mung beans, red beans, and tapioca pearls. Top with pandan jelly.
  5. Drizzle coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk over the top and enjoy!

2. Bánh Chuối (Vietnamese Banana Cake)

Bánh Chuối is a steamed banana cake that’s both delicious and easy to make. It’s a great use of overripe bananas.

Ingredients:

  • 6 ripe bananas
  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Mash the bananas in a bowl, then mix in sugar, rice flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Gradually incorporate coconut milk until you achieve a smooth batter.
  3. Pour the mixture into a greased steamer and steam for about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Once cooked, let it cool before slicing and serving.

3. Bánh trôi Nước (Glutinous Rice Balls with Sweet Syrup)

Bánh trôi Nước features chewy glutinous rice balls filled with sweet mung bean paste, served in a sweet syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup mung beans (cooked and mashed)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 cups water (for boiling)
  • Pandan leaves (for flavor)

Instructions:

  1. Mix glutinous rice flour and water to form a dough.
  2. Divide the dough into small balls, flatten them, and fill with a spoonful of mung bean paste before sealing them back into balls.
  3. Boil water