Vietnamese pudding desserts (chè) are often topped with a rich and sweet coconut sauce (nước cốt dừa ăn chè).
This sauce is made by simmering coconut milk with sugar and thickening it with a bit of tapioca starch. Pandan leaves, often called the “vanilla extract of the East,” are added to steep and infuse the sauce with their fragrance.
This creamy, rich sauce can be made days in advance and served cold, warm, or at room temperature.
Ingredients: Sweetened Coconut Milk Sauce for Asian Desserts (Nuoc Cot Dua) Ingredients: Sugar (not pictured because I forgot), coconut milk, pandan leaves, vanilla extract (optional), tapioca starch and salt.
This coconut sauce has a mellow sweetness that beautifully complements Vietnamese pudding desserts.
I made my sauce simply using canned coconut milk, but if you have access to freshly made coconut milk, definitely use it for a richer flavor.
I added a pinch of salt to balance the sugar, and I couldn’t resist adding a few drops of vanilla extract for that irresistible aroma. For a more traditional sauce, feel free to leave out the vanilla.
When using pandan leaves, don’t cut them. Leave them whole to prevent the green color from seeping into the white coconut sauce.
You can fold and tie them into a bundle with twine or, even better, use one of the pandan leaves to tie them together.
Recipe below. Enjoy.
Sweetened Coconut Milk for Vietnamese Desserts (Nuoc Cot Dua An Che)
- Total Time: 9 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Vietnamese desserts are often topped with a rich, sweet coconut sauce. Here’s how to make this sauce that perfectly complements a variety of Vietnamese pudding desserts (Chè).
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 whole pandan leaves
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Heat coconut milk: In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk and salt. Use one pandan leaf to wrap the other two in a bundle then add the pandan leaves into the sauce pan. Simmer over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble (about 4 minutes).
- Dissolve tapioca: Fill the empty coconut milk can halfway with water. Add tapioca starch and whisk until fully dissolved. Pour this mixture into the saucepan and heat for 2 minutes. Keep the heat low and stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Sweeten: Once the mixture starts to thicken and starts to bubble again, add sugar, and vanilla extract (optional). Continue to cook on low for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency, then remove from heat. Remove and discard the pandan leaves.
- Finish: Allow the sauce to cool slightly before serving. This coconut sauce will keep at room temperature for a day, or about 3 days in the fridge.
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
