Che Troi Nuoc (Mung Bean Rice Balls in Coconut Soup)

Method

1. Soak 50g mung beans in warm water for about 30 minutes, then rinse them well. Divide them in two: 30g for the filling and 20g for the soup.
2. Put the 20g of mung beans in a pot with 1 liter fresh coconut water and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until very soft, stirring and skimming as you go.
3. Put the other 30g of mung beans in a second pot, cover them with water and simmer over medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until soft.
4. Put 30g glutinous rice flour in a bowl with a quarter teaspoon of salt. Pour in hot water slowly and mix until the dough is pliable but not wet, then knead it into a smooth ball that does not stick to your hands.
5. Mash the mung beans for the filling, add 9g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, knead until combined and roll into small balls. Take a piece of dough, flatten it thin, set the filling in the middle, seal it and roll it round.
6. Bring about 1 liter of water to a boil and simmer the balls over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until they float and the skins look taut and slightly translucent.
7. Add 63g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend to the pot of mung beans cooked in coconut water and stir until dissolved. Mix 2 tablespoons tapioca starch with 2 tablespoons cold water and pour it in slowly, stirring as you pour so it does not go lumpy.
8. Add 30ml coconut milk and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the soup boils. Stir in 10g shredded coconut and turn off the heat.
9. Ladle the coconut mung bean soup into bowls, drop in the rice balls and spoon a little more coconut milk over the top.

Tips

• Pour the warm water into the glutinous rice flour slowly rather than all at once, which is the only way to judge the texture of the wrapper.
• Pinch the seams tightly so no air is trapped inside, which keeps the balls from splitting as they boil.
• The sweetness reads more clearly once the soup has cooled a little, so do not add more while it is piping hot.
• Mix the tapioca starch with cold water and pour it in slowly, stirring as you pour, so it does not go lumpy.
• The balls are done once they float with taut, slightly translucent skins, and they should come out straight away before they soften.