Sweet Corn Congee (Chè Bắp)

The Vietnamese cuisine has so many delicious desserts, such as Chè bà ba, chè đậu ván, chè khoai môn, chè đậu xanh, chè trôi nước, and chè bắp. It is not because I am Vietnamese, but when I try some of the desserts from Korea, Thailand, or China, they are nothing compared to the Vietnamese desserts. Cooking dessert is an art in Vietnam. It is similar to baking a cake. It takes time to wash the beans, if making the  beans congee (Các loại chè bằng đậu). Personally, I am not a dessert person, but Vietnamese desserts always bring back fond memories when I was young. I had a group of about four girlfriends, and we created the rule that whoever eats less has to pay for the desserts. Of course, I always ended up of paying, because all they had to do was order another bowl of the dessert. Of all the Các loại chè, I like chè bắp the most, and also it is an easier dessert to make. I learned to prepare this dessert from my sister-in-law, Anh, who is an excellent cook when it comes to preparing Vietnamese desserts. Every summer, where I live has a farmers market that is open from late May through September. The sweetcorn is so sweet and incredibly dirt cheap – 20 cents an ear. Even though the sweetcorn is sweet, it does not replace the taste of chè bắp that sold in Vietnam because the corn in Vietnam is soft and pliable, like sweet sticky rice, and the sweetcorn here is watery-crunchy. Some of the recipes add tapioca pearls or thickening with cornstarch. I like to prepare this dessert using the sweet sticky rice, and it comes close to the taste that I remember. However, when poor and hungry, everything seems to taste better, but the fond memories last forever.

Ingredients:
5 ears of sweetcorn, shredded very thin
1/2 cup sweet sticky rice
3/4 to 1 cup  sugar
1 bag of vanilla sugar
1/4 tsp salt
 8 cups water

Coconut milk topping ingredients:
1 can coconut

1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbs water

Directions:
Peel and remove the corn silk from the corn. Use a peeler to remove the corn kernels from the husks shredded into very fine pieces.

Wash and drain the sticky rice and set aside

Bring a pot of 8 cups of water and place the husks into the water. Bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes.

 Discard the husks and drain the husks water very well. Measure about 6 to 7 cups of the husks water and bring back to boil. Add rice and bring it back to boil.

 Cover and turn the heat off. Let the rice cook in hot water for 20 minutes. Remove lid and add shredded corn kernels.

Bring to boil and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the kernels are cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent the kernels from sticking to the bottom and burning. Add sugar and vanilla.
Meanwhile, follow these directions to make the coconut milk topping:
Combine coconut milk, water, and sugar, and salt and bring to boil. Mix the cornstarch and water and add this mixture to the coconut milk. Stir and add vanilla and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Ladle the chè bắp onto a serving bowl and top with coconut milk. I like to eat this dessert hot, but eating it at room temperature is good too. Enjoy!