Sweet Corn Dessert (Chè Bắp)

In the Vietnamese cuisine, corn is a type of vegetable that can make so many kinds of dishes from savory to sweet, such as the dessert called, chè bắp". I am a cook without a sweet tooth who seldom bakes cakes or makes a dessert. However, corn porridge is a very seductive dessert, and the time to perform this dish does not take as long as the finished product certainly makes people quite satisfied. Each time I make corn porridge reminds me of those days when I was young, and the voice of the sales lady with a distinct southern accent who sold this corn porridge uttered the words, “Who would like to eat sweet corn now?” At such times, I often ran to my mother and asked her for a little bit of money to buy this sweet corn dessert. This still warm corn porridge usually was presented inside a nylon Ziploc. Coconut milk was added over the top of the porridge. I just squeezed the bag gently to mix the corn and coconut milk together in a plastic bag and then bite the bottom corner of the bag to enjoy the natural sweet taste of corn and coconut milk that melted in my mouth. This is the best way to eat the very rustic corn porridge in Vietnam, but it is also one of many beautiful memories of my childhood. Today, I will introduce this special porridge of my homeland with easily found ingredients during the summer of the Pacific Northwest where so many farmers’ markets sell fresh corn.

Ingredients:
5 fresh ears of corn

1/2 cup glutinous rice, wash and drain
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar
1 tbs vanilla
Coconut milk topping ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla (use as substitute for pandan leaves noted at the bottom)

Directions:
From the ears of corn, remove the husks and silk. Wash and drain.

Use a sharp knife to slice off very thinly the corn kernels from the corncobs.

Add the corncobs into a pot with water to cover the cobs and bring to boil.

 

Cook the cobs for 20 minutes. Remove cobs and reserve the water. Measure about 6 cups of water including the water reserved from cooking the cobs. Bring to boil.
Add rice, salt, and shredded corn kernels to the boiling water and simmer until the rice and corn kernels are cooked (about 20 to 30 minutes).

 Add sugar and vanilla. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve corn porridge warm and cover with coconut milk topping*.

*While the corn is cooking, make the coconut milk topping:
In a small saucepan, add all the coconut milk ingredients and bring to boil (watch carefully not to allow the coconut mixture to boil over). Simmer for 5 minutes.

NOTE: If available, a handful of fresh pandan leaves or 1 tsp of pandan extract can be used for traditional flavoring when making both the corn porridge the coconut milk topping. If using fresh pandan leaves, remove them after cooking both the corn porridge and coconut milk topping.