Che Xoi Nuoc Mochi Dumpling Ginger Sauce

Che xoi nuoc (also called che troi nuoc and banh troi tau) doesn't translate well--literally sticky rice water dessert. But what it lacks in translation, it makes up in flavor so uniquely sweet and savory. Basically, it's a sticky rice mochi filled with savory mung bean filling bathed in a sweet ginger sauce, served warm and topped with rich coconut milk reduction and toasted sesame.  Now that sounds a lot better than sticky rice water right? This dessert is similar to the Chinese Tangyuan, often served during the lunar new year.

If you've read our posts on banh it tran, a savory sticky rice dumpling, the ingredients and process are almost identical. So if you're going to make banh it tran, split or double the ingredients and you can make che xoi nuoc at the same time.   The filling can be sweet or savory mung bean filling and we've seen variations with sesame paste. We prefer the savory filling--it just adds a complexity between the sweet ginger syrup mixed with the mung beans.

This recipe has multiple components and requires planning but once you get the different ingredients together, it's so simple to make. You can make the mung bean filling, ginger sauce, and the coconut sauce the day before to save time. 

Che Xoi Nuoc - Mochi Dumpling in Ginger Sauce
Printable Recipe

Ginger Sauce

• 6 cups water
• 1 large nob of ginger, peeled, cut into 1-2 inch sections and crush
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 ts cinnamon (optional)

Filling

• 3/4 cup peeled split mung beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
• 2 ts salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs coconut milk
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 green onion, chopped
• cooking oil 

Dough

• 16 oz. bag of glutinous rice flour
• 1 2/3 cup of water

Coconut Reduction and Toasted Sesame

• 16 oz. can of coconut milk (save 2 tbs for filling)
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 ts salt
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame

First make the ginger sauce by mixing water and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Add the cinnamon and ginger. We like to put the crushed ginger in a large tea strainer or bag of cheese cloth to make it easier to remove, but if you don't have that just toss it in and strain later. Bring to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes to get the flavor from the ginger steep out and turn off heat. Set aside and strain ginger pieces when ready to add the mochi dumplings.  This is a sauce, not a syrup so no need to reduce to a thick consistency.

While the ginger sauce is simmering, steam the mung beans for about 15 or until you can crush the grains with your finger and allow to cool and dry slightly. Meanwhile with about a 1 tbs of cooking oil quickly sautee the green onions for about 30 seconds and set aside. Add another 1-2 tbs of oil and sautee the onions until golden brown, drain oil and set aside.  By now the mung beans should cooled. Add mung beans to a mixing bowl and using a rubber spatula work the mung bean into a paste. Add in the onions, green onions, salt, sugar, coconut milk and mix well.  Adjust seasoning to taste--but remember, this filling will be in a sweet ginger sauce so you don't want the filling to also be too sweet.  Make small balls of mung bean filling roughly the size of a quarter in diameter and set aside.

Add the glutinous rice flour and the 1 3/4 cup of water to a separate mixing bowl. Mix well and form into a dough ball--it should be like play dough consistency.  Pinch a small ball of dough and flatten it out into a thin disk roughly 1/8 inch thick and twice the diameter of the mung bean filling.

Place the mung bean filling in the center of the dough. Fold over one edge and pinch together. Then fold and pinch the ends together. Pinch off the excess dough at the edges, making sure the filling is complete surrounded by dough. Then gently roll the dumpling in your palms to form a smooth ball.  If you have excess dough, roll those into small pearls--don't discard!

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the mochi dumplings and any small pearls--don't add too many and leave a bit of space between each dumpling. Stir occasionally making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot or each other. Dumplings are cooked when it rises and floats. Remove to a colander rinse with cold water, drain, and add to the ginger sauce. The dumplings begin to immediately take on the amber color and should be complete submerged in the sauce.

Add the coconut milk, salt, and sugar to a small sauce pan and reduce by about a 1/3 or until a thick consistency and set aside. 

Allow the dumplings to soak in the ginger sauce--the longer the better and serve this dessert warm.  If stored in the fridge, microwave the dumpling and the sauce for about a minute as the mochi tends to harden in the fridge. 

Top with the coconut reduction and sprinkle toasted sesame. Che xoi nuoc is a wonderful dance of sweet and savory flavors and textures.  It's a Vietnamese comfort dessert at it's best.

This post is a tribute to our moms who guides us in recipes as well as in life. Happy Mother's day weekend everyone! It's also our contribution to Delicious Vietnam, a monthly blogging event celebrating Vietnamese cuisine created by Anh of A Food Lovers Journey and yours truly!  This month's host is also A Food Lovers Journey .

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