Chè Trôi Nước (Vietnamese Floating Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup)

Mung bean filling

• 120 g Mung beans, split, hulled
• 40 g Palm sugar
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Rice balls

• 220 g Glutinous rice, flour
• 160 ml Water, warm

Ginger syrup and topping

• 160 g Palm sugar
• 30 g Ginger root, firm, fresh
• 900 ml Water
• 200 ml Coconut milk
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 20 g Roasted sesame seeds

1. Rinse the mung beans in a colander until the water runs mostly clear. Tip into a saucepan, cover with fresh water by a few centimetres, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until very tender, topping up with a splash of water if needed.
2. Drain the beans well, then return them to the warm pan. Add 40 g palm sugar and a pinch of fine sea salt, then mash with a wooden spoon until smooth and cohesive. Spread on a plate and leave to cool until you can handle it comfortably.
3. While the filling cools, peel the ginger and slice it thinly. In a large pot, combine 160 g palm sugar with 900 ml water and the ginger, then bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse, then keep the syrup on a low heat.
4. Roll the mung bean paste into 12 small balls. Put the glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl and add the warm water gradually, mixing until a soft, smooth dough forms that does not crack when pinched. Cover the dough with a damp cloth while you shape the balls.
5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten one piece in your palm, place a mung bean ball in the centre, then pinch to seal and roll smooth again. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, keeping the finished balls covered so they do not dry out.
6. Bring a separate pot of water to the boil. Add the rice balls and stir gently once to prevent sticking, then boil for 4 to 6 minutes until they float and the skins look slightly translucent. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and slide them straight into the warm ginger syrup.
7. Simmer the rice balls in the syrup for 5 minutes so they absorb the flavour. Warm the coconut milk in a small saucepan with a pinch of fine sea salt just until steaming, without boiling. Ladle the rice balls and syrup into bowls, spoon over coconut milk, and finish with roasted sesame seeds.

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