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Bubur cha cha - This recipe medley of sweet potatoes (in yellow, orange, and purple color), yam (taro), black-eye peas, etc., cooked in a sweet coconut milk base. It is a colorful and sweet dessert, and is generally prepared during festive seasons in Penang.
Bubur Cha-Cha is probably one of the more well-known Nyonya desserts, so much so that they are commonly found in Hong Kong/Cantonese-style cafes. Even here in the United States, I can find it on the menu of some Asian cafes as Nanyang Bubur Cha–Cha or 南洋摩摩喳喳. Nanyang means “south of sea,” generally known as Southeast Asia in Chinese…
Each country in Southeast Asia has its own variation of this dessert—a medley of sweet potatoes (in yellow, orange, and purple color), yam (taro), black-eye peas, etc., cooked in a sweet coconut milk base. Bubur cha cha is a colorful and sweet dessert, and is generally prepared during festive seasons in Penang, and a must have on Chap Goh Meh (the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year).
My aunt loves making Bubur Cha-Cha; she is immaculate when it comes to the balance of colors and its presentation. She would make a pink color tapioca jelly to complement the yellow, orange, and purple color in her bubur cha-cha. To me, the tapioca jelly—chewy and stretchy in its texture—is the best part of it all, I love it more than the sweet potatoes and yam.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 503 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Bubur Cha-Cha
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Bubur Cha-Cha
Ingredients
- 80 g purple sweetpotato
- 80 g orange sweet potato
- 80 g yellow sweet potato
- 150 g yam (taro)
- 10 g sago (tapioca pearls)
- 50 g black-eyed peas, soaked for 1 hour
Tapioca flour jelly
- 100 g tapioca flour
- ½ cup boiling water
- Red coloring
Coconut Milk Base
- 2.5 liters water, 10 cups water
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 120 g sugar
- 3 banana, peeled and cut half inches thick
- 2 pandan leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In boiling water, cook the black-eyed peas until soft. In a separate pot, boil the sago until translucent and fully cooked.
- Peel and cut the potatoes and taro into cubes or desired shapes. Steam them separately until cooked.
- To make tapioca flour jelly, place the flour in a mixing bowl and pour in boiling water. Mix until well incorporated. Once the dough is cool, roll it out evenly on a well-floured surface and cut it into cubes or desired shapes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the banana. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- In a pot with 3 liters of boiling water, add the thick coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pandan leaves. Cook over low heat for about 10–20 minutes.
- Pour all the ingredients, including the sago and tapioca jelly, into the coconut milk base and mix well. Serve hot or cold, according to your preference.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I cant view the recipe here, it doesnt show up
My family like your asam pedals recipe very much and I had tried cooking it twice thank you for your lovely recipe
Hello, is it really 3 litres of water? We have tried this recipe and feel that the coconut milk base was too watery (even though we have added almost the whole can of coconut milk!). Also should the tapioca jelly be cooked / boiled first before mixing into the final coconut milk base with other ingredients? Seems like the recipe has missed this step.. Thanks!
Totally agree! This is exactly what happened to us. There is certainly some ratio issue and the water can be reduced. We ended up removing the potatoes and boiling it down so that the taste was stronger.
2- We also realised it wasn’t as starchy if you don’t book the potatoes with the water and added tapioca starch.
3- the tapioca jelly optional :) for those making it in future, we didn’t add it last but put it with the sweet potatoes and brought it to a boil (as it needed to be cooked).
Thanks though for the recipe RM, but do note our comments to those out there making it!
Hi Eunice, this is a very old recipe and actually contributed by a contributor. The ratio might be off. I will have to look into this.
Not the best recipe ! The water is off
Hi, i cant seem to find pandan leaves here. Is there any other substitute or can i use pandan paste?
Skip it.
Try added it with vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. My husband doesnt like the strong aroma of the pandan and i secretly sub it with vanilla sugar only then i heard his comment, nyummm?