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Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls Recipe

Chè Trôi Nước Recipe (Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls)

Chè trôi nước, or Vietnamese glutinous rice balls, is a traditional dessert that's both rich in flavor and steeped in history. Follow this recipe to enjoy these tasty sweet treats right at home!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: Bánh Trôi, Chè Trôi Nước, Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Dietary Preference: Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 572kcal

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Sieve
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spatula

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 0.85 pounds glutinous rice flour
  • 3.5 tablespoons pandan leaf juice
  • 3.5 tablespoons beetroot juice
  • 0.8 cups warm water
  • 3.5 tablespoons room temperature water
  • 1.5 teaspoons rice flour

For the filling

  • 7 ounces peeled split mung beans
  • 5 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots

For the ginger syrup and coconut milk sauce

  • 2.8 ounces rock sugar
  • 1.2 quarts water
  • 1.6 ounces sliced ginger
  • 4 pandan leaves
  • 1.5 cups coconut milk
  • 0.7 ounces white sesame seeds, toasted until golden
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • First, rinse the mung beans thoroughly, and soak them for 4 hours before cooking. Cook the soaked mung beans in a pot for about 20-30 minutes.
    Rinse The Mung Beans
  • When the mung beans are cooked, and the water has almost evaporated, mix them with coconut milk, sugar, salt, and minced shallots.
    Mixed With Ingredients
  • Stir the mixture over low heat until you achieve a dry and smooth filling.
    Dry And Smooth Filling
  • Allow the mung beans to cool, divide them into equal portions, and shape them into balls.
    Shape Them Into Balls
  • Divide the glutinous rice flour, warm water, and rice flour into 3 portions to make 3 different colored doughs for the rice dumplings.
    Place about 0.3 pounds of glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Slowly pour in 4 tablespoons of warm water. Use a spatula to mix well.
    Glutinous Rice Flour A Large Bowl
  • Next, gradually add pandan leaf juice/beetroot juice or room-temperature water (for the white dough). Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes fairly smooth, then add 1 teaspoon of rice flour.
    Continue kneading so that the dough is soft and pliable without being too dry, feeling wet but not sticky to the touch.
    Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Rest it for 30 minutes.
    Cover The Dough With Plastic Wrap
  • Before shaping the glutinous rice balls, prepare a pot of boiling water so that you can cook them as soon as they are shaped. Divide the dough into equal portions.
    Shape each portion into a ball, flatten it with your hands, and place a mung bean ball in the center.
    Mung Bean Ball In The Center
  • Carefully wrap the dough around the filling, making sure not to expose the filling.
    Wrap The Dough Around The Filling
  • Gently roll the glutinous rice ball between your palms to form a round shape, then carefully drop it into the boiling water. Repeat this process until all the filling is used.
    Gently Roll The Glutinous Rice Ball
  • With the remaining dough, you can shape it into small, filling-free balls. While cooking the rice dumplings, gently stir them with a spatula to prevent them from sticking together. Use the spatula to gently push them so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
    Gently use a sieve to stir them, preventing them from sticking together. Cook over low heat until the dumplings rise to the surface (about 20 minutes). Remove them and place them into a bowl of cold water.
    Shape It Into Small
  • Boil 1.2 quarts of water and add pandan leaves, cooking for about 5 minutes.
    Boil Quarts Of Water And Pandan Leaves
  • Add the rock sugar, stirring until it completely dissolves, before adding sliced ginger.
    Once you see the water come to a rolling boil, add the rice dumplings. Maintain low heat for about 10 minutes before turning off the stove.
    Add Rock Sugar
  • Pour coconut milk into a pot. Heat it over low heat until it simmers and thickens, then turn off the stove.
    Prepare The Coconut Milk Sauce
  • Scoop the rice dumplings into a bowl, along with some ginger syrup and sliced ginger. Drizzle with a bit of coconut sauce, and sprinkle some crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and julienned ginger on top.
    Serve Che Troi Nuoc
  • Savor chè trôi nước with a spoon!
    Sprinkle Some Crushed Peanuts

Video

Notes

  • The estimated total time is for 6 servings.
  • Choose small mung beans for a more fragrant and richer filling.
  • Gradually pour in water while kneading the dough.
  • Your dough should not be too dry (crumbly and breaks easily) or too wet (it doesn't hold its shape well).
  • Try to maintain a uniform size for each rice ball. This ensures that they all cook evenly.
  • Do not over-crowd the pot while boiling the balls to ensure even cooking. The rice balls are ready when they float to the surface.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg