Sữa chua nếp cẩm is one of my favorite desserts. This dish originated in the North of Vietnam, but can now be found throughout the country. It consists of sweet and creamy Vietnamese-style yogurt and black glutinous rice flavored with pandan and coconut milk, which is deep purple when cooked.
The final product is cooling, creamy, fragrant, and sweet (but not too sweet – which is a very Vietnamese compliment for desserts). It is perfect to cool you down from the inside on hot summer days, best consumed in the afternoon- since it may be too filling to be served after dinner.
Traditionally, a very specific type of black glutinous rice called “(gạo) nếp cẩm” (gạo = uncooked rice, nếp = glutinous, cẩm = luxurious, brilliant) grown in the northwest of Vietnam is used for this dessert. Unfortunately, nếp cẩm is virtually impossible to find outside of Vietnam, so we’ll use the next best thing- another type of black glutinous rice that’s much more widely available: “(gạo) nếp than” (than = charcoal) which is commonly grown in Southern Vietnamese. Both types are very good for your health, containing a multitude of vitamins and nutrients. When cooked, they are soft yet bouncy, giving the dessert a fun texture.
You should be able to find black glutinous rice, also called black sweet rice, at most International/Asian grocery stores from many different brands. It is also commonly used in Korean cooking to make purple rice. Just make sure that you buy glutinous/sweet black rice and not regular black rice.
You will also find a version of sữa chua nếp cẩm wherein the rice gets fermented and becomes a bit boozy. That version is my mom’s favorite, but both are equally delicious. This recipe is for the simpler non-fermented version.
INGREDIENTS FOR SỮA CHUA NẾP CẨM
- Black glutinous rice – Gạo nếp cẩm/nếp than: Traditionally, this dessert is specifically made with a specific type of black glutinous rice called “nếp cẩm” grown in the northwest of Vietnam is used for this dessert. Since nếp cẩm is virtually impossible to find outside of Vietnam, we can use the next best thing- another type of black glutinous rice that’s much more widely available: “nếp than“, which is commonly grown in Southern Vietnamese. Both types are very good for your health, containing a multitude of vitamins and nutrients. When cooked, they are soft yet bouncy, giving the dessert a fun texture.
- Vietnamese-style yogurt – Sữa chua: Made with condensed milk, this yogurt is creamy, tangy, and sweet. For the best and most authentic taste, you should make Vietnamese yogurt. But if you don’t want to take the effort, I recommend using a plain French yogurt like La fermière or Oui– which has a similar taste. If you are dairy-free or vegan, feel free to substitute with an unflavored dairy-free yogurt, which would make the dessert completely vegan!
- Pandan leaves – Lá dứa (which means pineapple leaf due to its resemblance to : A natural flavoring used in many South and Southeast Asian cuisines. In Vietnam, it is mainly used to flavor desserts. Pandan has a mild, yet very distinctive scent that is described as grassy, vanilla, and coconut-y. It pairs extremely well with coconut in desserts. It’s beautiful green color is also used as a natural food dye.
- Coconut milk – Nước cốt dừa: Made by grating flesh from a brown coconut, soaking it in water and then straining it to produce a milk-like consistency. It is often sweetened with sugar and use to top chè (a category of Vietnamese desserts consists of sweet soups and puddings). It is naturally vegan and lactose-free.
- Granulated sugar (cane or white) – Đường cát (mía hoặc trắng)
- Salt – Muối
- Water – Nước
DIRECTIONS FOR SỮA CHUA NẾP CẨM
- Rinse and strain rice 2-3 times.
- Add to a large bowl with enough fresh water to cover the surface of the rice + a few centimeters.
- Soak for 6-8 hours (or overnight).
- Strain the rice, then add to a pot with the amount of water called for in the ingredients list.
- Bring pot to boil on medium.
- Tie the bundle of pandan leaves into a knot.
- Once the water is boiling, add the pandan knot.
- Reduce heat to 4/10 and cook until you can start to see the rice at the surface of the water (about 10 minutes).
- Remove the pandan and continue cooking until most of water has evaporated (another 5 minutes).
- Reduce heat to low (2/10)
- Add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Divide rice into glasses (~200g per serving), top with yogurt and crushed ice if you like, and enjoy!