Che Dau Trang (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Black-Eyed Peas Pudding)

• Give the black-eyed peas a rinse with clean water and drain excess water off. Do the same with glutinous rice. Give the rice several rinses of water until the water runs clear. Drain excess water off
• If you use canned black-eyed peas, discard the liquid and give the beans a few rinses of water. Set aside until ready to be used

If cooking on the stove:

• If you plan to cook the beans on the stove, soak them in clean water for at least 4 hours or overnight
• Place all ingredients to cook black-eyed peas in a heavy-bottom pot. Bring water to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the beans are soft and you can easily mash it with your finger, but not overly mushy and fall apart. Drain the cooking liquid and set the beans aside while preparing other things
• In a large heavy bottom pot, put 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and pandan leaves and give it a stir and lower the heat to medium to let it simmer, partially cover. It takes about 20 minutes or so for the rice to be tender and creamy. Give it a stir every now and then to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• When the rice is cooked, remove the pandan leaves and stir in the beans and sugar. The consistency should be thick and creamy, like a thick porridge. If it's a bit too thick to your liking, you can add a bit of water and give it a stir until you like the consistency. If you think it's too thin, keep in mind that it gets thicker the longer it sits. You can also turn the stove back on and cook it over medium heat to evaporate some liquid. The consistency should be creamy and thick like a thick porridge. Adjust it to your preference . Have a taste and adjust the sweetness level to your preference

If using Instant pot pressure cooker:

• You don't need to soak the black-eyed peas. Place all ingredients for black-eyed peas in the inner pot of the instant pot. Close the lid and turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 15 minutes and then do a quick release. The beans should be tender but not mushy. If they are still too firm to your liking, close the lid back up and pressure cook for another 3-5 minutes. Drain off the cooking liquid
• Give the inner pot a quick rinse. Add all ingredients for the rice into the inner pot of Instant pot. Close the lid and turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 7 minutes and then let it release naturally (about 10 minutes or so). When the pressure valve has collapsed, unlock the lid. Remove pandan leaves and discard. Give the rice a stir
• Fold the cooked beans and sugar into the sticky rice mixture and stir to combine. The consistency should be thick and creamy. If it's a bit too thick to your liking, you can add a bit of water and give it a stir until you like the consistency. If you think it's too thin, keep in mind that it gets thicker the longer it sits. You can also turn the saute mode on and let it cook a bit to evaporate some liquid. The consistency should be creamy and thick like a thick porridge. Adjust it to your preference. Have a taste and adjust the sweetness level to your preference

Prepare coconut sauce:

• Put all ingredients for the coconut sauce in a saucepan. Whisk to combine and make sure the starch has dissolved. Put on the stove over medium heat and whisk until the mixture is thickened slightly but still pourable consistency. Remove from the heat

To serve:

• Portion the che dau trang into serving bowl and spoon some coconut sauce on top and serve while it's warm. You can also serve this chilled, but this dessert is usually served warm

How to store leftovers:

• Simply keep them in an air-tight container. Keep the sauce in a separate container too. They can be kept for up to one week in the fridge. Simply reheat the rice mixture if you prefer it warm or just serve it chilled if that's what you like