Banana Pudding (Che Chuoi: Vietnamese Style)

This banana pudding is sweet and delicate. You can eat it either cold or hot. Who can resist? If you're a fan of boba tea, then you definitely have to try this!

The perfume of the banana gives off an exotic aroma, the tapioca pearls gives you the illusion of clear caviar. There are two types of bananas that could be used in this pudding, regular bananas located in any grocery stores or small asian bananas. I prefer using the small bananas due to the fact that it gives the pudding a distinct fragrance. But using the regular bananas are equally pleasant. The small bananas are rather difficult to find unless you know someone who grows them in their backyard. It is also available at any local Asian grocery stores. But I will be using regular bananas since it is easier to locate.
This is one of my favorite recipes. It is a fairly easy recipe. But you must follow the recipe accordingly with the exact measurements of ingredients. Too much water will leave the dessert watery. Not enough tapioca pearls or coconut milk will not thicken the pudding. So it is imperative that you use the right measurements. Refrain from over mixing. Over mixing will cause the pudding to lose it's consistency. Once the pudding has been cooling for about 15 to 20 minutes you can stir the pudding lightly so the pearls can be equally distributed. It will make about 5 to 6 servings.
If you have a sweet tooth, adding more sugar is fine. But remember the bananas will add a sweet flavor to the pudding. Chopped peanuts are used as a garnish. But I opt to omit it since I find that the chopped peanuts serves as a distraction of the texture.

Want to be bold? Trying adding taro root in place of bananas. Depending on the type of taro root used, the pudding will turn slightly purple.

3 cups water
4 tablespoons small tapioca pearls
4 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut milk
3 bananas (about 1 pound total) peeled and cut
1. In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add in the tapioca pearls and whisk the mixture lightly to prevent the pearls from sticking together. Reduce the heat to medium-high. The tapioca pearls will need to cook for about 12 minutes. At this point the mixture will thicken slightly and will resemble clear pearls.

2. While the tapioca pearls are cooking, in a small separate bowl, whisk the sugar, salt and coconut milk together. Peel and cut the bananas to your desired size.
I usually slice the bananas in half and then cut them into 1 inch thick slice

3. Add the coconut mixture to the tapioca mixture after the initial 12 minutes cooking time. Stir the mixture lightly until the sugar dissolve. (About 1 minute)

4. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the bananas in the mixture, stir lightly to evenly distribute the bananas. Cook for another 2 minutes. This will allow the aroma of the banana to blend in the mixture.

5. Turn off the stove and remove the pudding off the stove. Allow the pudding to cool, as it cools, the pudding will thicken.
Refrigerate any leftovers. If you prefer to eat it warm, reheat the pudding over medium-low heat until the desired temperature is reached.