Chè Bưởi - Pomelo Pith Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 pcCitrus grandis (L.) Osb. or Citrus maxima (white pith only, diced)
- 150 gmung beans (peeled, soaked and steamed)
- 200 gTapioca or Japanese pearls (powder for coating and thickening)
- 150 gpalm sugar (crushed)
- 250 mlCoconut milk (for the sauce)
- 2 pcpandan leaves (knotted)
- 1 tbspCorn starch (to thicken the coconut sauce)
- 1 pinchGray sea salt (for the coconut sauce)
- 1 tspAlum powder (diluted in soaking water)
Method
A sweet soup where pomelo pith becomes translucent and crunchy, paired with soft mung beans. Thick coconut cream coats the top for a striking contrast of textures.
- 1
Rinse the mung beans until the water is clear. Steam them for 15 to 20 minutes. They should be tender and mash easily under finger pressure, but remain whole.
- 2
Collect only the thick white part of the pomelo peel. Cut it into 1 cm cubes. Massage the cubes with grey sea salt and rinse thoroughly with cold water at least 10 times, squeezing hard. Soak the cubes in water with the alum powder for 30 minutes to firm them up, then rinse thoroughly. The bitterness must have completely disappeared.
- 3
Mix the damp pomelo cubes with tapioca to coat them in a thick layer. Plunge into boiling water. When the cubes rise to the surface and become translucent like pearls, immediately plunge them into an ice-water bath to set the crunch.
- 4
Boil 1L of water with palm sugar and pandan leaves. Remove the leaves. Pour in a mixture of tapioca and water, stirring constantly until the texture is thick and coats the spoon. Add the beans and pomelo cubes.
- 5
Heat the coconut milk with a pinch of salt and diluted cornstarch. Stir until the mixture thickens. Pour this white, creamy topping over the warm or cold chè before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get this dish right?
- The pith rinsing step is crucial: if you don't squeeze hard enough, the dessert will be bitter.
- Don't overcook the mung beans; they should keep their shape for visual contrast.
- The coconut sauce must be very thick; it shouldn't mix immediately with the sweet broth.
How long does this dish keep?
Keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze, as the tapioca will lose its texture.
