Vietnamese Chè Ba Màu (Three-Color Dessert)
A refreshing Vietnamese layered dessert with sweet beans, pandan jelly, coconut milk, and crushed ice.
Equipment
- Three saucepans
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Tall serving glasses
- Small knife
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Sweet Layers
- 1/2 cup dried mung beans split and hulled
- 1/2 cup dried red beans
- 1/2 cup black-eyed peas
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/4 cup small tapioca pearls
- 1 cup pandan jelly cut into cubes
Coconut Sauce and Serving
- 1 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 1 tsp pandan extract optional
Instructions
Cook the Beans:
- Soak the mung beans, red beans, and black-eyed peas separately for at least 2 hours. Drain.
- Simmer each bean separately in fresh water until tender. Drain well, toss each with a little of the divided sugar, and chill.
Make the Sauce:
- Cook the tapioca pearls in boiling water until translucent. Rinse and drain.
- Whisk coconut milk, remaining sugar, tapioca starch, and pandan extract in a saucepan. Heat gently until slightly thickened, then chill.
Layer and Serve:
- Layer beans, tapioca pearls, and pandan jelly in four clear glasses.
- Top with crushed ice and coconut sauce. Serve immediately, with spoons for stirring.
Notes
- Keep the coconut sauce below a simmer so it does not split.
- Canned pandan jelly works well when fresh jelly is not available.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 55mgFiber: 8gSugar: 39g