Che Khoai Mon (Golden Taro and Sticky Rice Sweet Soup)

Method

1. Peel 1kg golden taro and rinse it under running water to remove all soil and sap. Cut the taro into cubes of about 2 to 3cm.
2. Soak the taro in lightly salted water for 15 to 20 minutes so it loses its sap and does not darken, then rinse several times in cold water and drain thoroughly.
3. Rinse 200g glutinous rice until the water runs clear, then soak it for 2 to 4 hours or overnight so the grains swell evenly.
4. Put the soaked rice in a pot with water at a ratio of 1 part rice to 2 parts water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower it and stir gently now and then so the rice does not catch. Cook until the grains are soft and the mixture thickens like a loose porridge.
5. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the taro in it. As soon as a chopstick slides into a piece that still holds together, lift the taro out and drain it.
6. Add the boiled taro to the gently simmering rice and fold it through in one direction with a ladle so the two combine, avoiding vigorous stirring that would break the taro.
7. Add 270g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 small piece of fresh ginger, bruised and cut into strips, and simmer gently so the flavors settle in. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt to balance.
8. Finally add 500ml coconut milk, stir well, bring to a soft boil and turn off the heat.

Tips

• A taro root that feels heavy, with dry skin and fine cracks or pale pink threads, has yellow flesh and rarely turns woody.
• Cooking the taro separately before it joins the rice keeps every piece intact.
• Folding gently in one direction keeps the pot smooth and stops it catching on the base.
• The coconut milk goes in last with only a soft boil, since longer cooking splits it.
• Stop cooking the rice at the thickness of a loose porridge, because a thick pot sets solid once it cools.
• Bruised ginger goes in just before the heat comes off, since long cooking makes the pot sharp and buries the taro.