Chè is a traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or pudding. It’s also my favorite category of Viet food because of the vast variety of it.
They’re usually served with some bean, glutinous rice, fruits and jellies and can be eaten either hot or cold. Though you can eat them warm, my favorite is to eat them cold with crushed ice during a hot summer. They also usually have a coconut sauce or coconut element to it because after all we are in the tropics!
Chè Ba Màu is a classic Chè if you’re not sure where to start!
They’re usually served with some bean, glutinous rice, fruits and jellies and can be eaten either hot or cold. Though you can eat them warm, my favorite is to eat them cold with crushed ice during a hot summer. They also usually have a coconut sauce or coconut element to it because after all, we are in the tropics!
Chè Ba Màu basically translates to three color dessert because of the three colors you see. Technically it’s four if you count coconut cream but who’s being the referee here? We start off with some sweetened red beans, you can buy at Asian markets because it’s already cooked and sweeten for you. All you have to do is open it up and add it to your dessert. Super convenient!
Followed by a mung bean paste. This is super easy to make, fun tip if you have a rice cooker you can just put the ingredients in your rice cooker and press the button and it’ll cook for you.
Finally Pandan jelly! My favorite brand to use for agar agar powder is the telephone brand. I’ve used other brands to you and it’s just not the same. Also we used pandan extract which is available at most Asian markets in the flavor section.
Then it is topped with crushed ice and a delicious sweet and salty coconut cream. The recipe is below let me know if you try it and tag me on socials if you do!
Chè Ba Màu (Vietnamese 3 Color Dessert)
Course: Recipes, DessertCuisine: vietnamese, asianDifficulty: easy4
servings30
minutes25
minutesIngredients
- Yellow Layer
1/2 c dried split mung bean (soaked overnight or 4-5 hrs)
2 1/4 c water
3 tbsp sugar
- Green Layer
1 tbsp agar agar powder
2 c water/coconut water
1-2 drops Pandan extract
3 tbsp sugar
- Red Layer
1 can sweetened red beans
- Coconut Sauce
1 1/2 c coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp tapioca starch
Directions
- For yellow layer: combine your mung beans, sugar & water. Bring to a boil and then cook on low until water is absorbed, about 15 mins. (alternatively, you can cook in a rice cooker/instapot on ‘rice’ mode). Set aside to cool completely.
- For green layer: in a pot on medium heat mix water, agar agar powder, sugar & pandan extract and cook for 4 mins whisking the entire time. Pour into glass container and set aside to cool. Cut into strips once cooled.
- For Coconut sauce: in a pot on med/low heat, combine coconut milk, sugar, salt & tapioca starch. Cook for 3-4 mins whisking the entire time and once done, set aside to cool.
- To assemble in a cup: red beans, mung bean paste, green jelly, crushed ice & coconut sauce.
