Chè Ba Màu

About This Recipe

Chè ba màu — 'three-colour dessert' — is Vietnam's most visually striking sweet, a tower of contrasting colours and textures served in a tall glass over crushed ice. It layers green pandan jelly, yellow mung bean paste, and red kidney beans or adzuki beans, then crowns everything with a generous pour of sweet coconut milk.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 gsplit mung beans (peeled), soaked 30 minutes
• 150 gdried red kidney beans or adzuki beans, soaked overnight
• 150 gsugar (for beans)
• 1 tsppandan extract or 4 pandan leaves, blended
• 5 gagar agar powder
• 250 mlwater (for jelly)
• 3 tbspsugar (for jelly)
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 100 mlwater (for coconut milk sauce)
• 3 tbspsugar (for coconut milk)
• 0.5 tspsalt (for coconut milk)
• 1 tsptapioca starch (to thicken coconut milk)
• 2 cupscrushed ice, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the red beans

   Drain soaked kidney or adzuki beans and simmer in fresh water for 45–60 minutes until tender. Drain, stir in 3 tbsp sugar, and cool.

2. 2

   Cook and mash mung beans

   Cook drained mung beans in water for 20–25 minutes until very soft. Stir in 3 tbsp sugar and mash into a smooth paste. Cool.

3. 3

   Make pandan agar jelly

   Dissolve agar agar powder in water with sugar and pandan extract in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes, stirring. Pour into a flat dish and refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes). Cut into thin strips or small cubes.

4. 4

   Make coconut milk sauce

   Combine coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Mix tapioca starch with 2 tbsp cold water and stir into the coconut milk. Heat gently, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly. Do not boil. Cool.

5. 5

   Assemble and serve

   Fill tall glasses with crushed ice. Layer mung bean paste, red beans, and pandan jelly strips in the glass. Pour cold coconut milk sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately with a long spoon and straw.

Variations

• •

  Add fresh grass jelly (thach den) for a fourth colour and texture.

• •

  Use pandan jelly from a packet for a quick shortcut.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Store components separately in fridge up to 3 days. Assemble with ice just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions