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Chè khúc bạch (almond milk jelly with lychees)
Chè khúc bạch: cubes of almond-scented milk jelly set with agar, lychees and toasted almonds in light syrup
Saigon's café-dessert shops made chè khúc bạch a craze in the 2010s, and it is still a cooling order on hot afternoons around Bến Thành. Soft, creamy cubes of almond-scented milk jelly float with lychees in a light lychee syrup, topped with crunchy toasted almonds, all over crushed ice. Gelatin is often used; this version sets with agar so it is vegetarian, and it holds firm even in tropical heat. Chef's tip: boil the agar for a full 2 minutes before adding the milk; agar that is only warmed won't set, which is the usual reason the jelly stays runny.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Milk jelly
- 2 tsp agar powderabout 4 g
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- ½ tsp almond extract
To serve
- 1 tin lychees in syrupabout 560 g, syrup kept
- 1 ⅜ oz flaked almondstoasted golden
- 10 ½ oz crushed ice
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 tsp agar powder and 2 ½ oz sugar into 200 ml of cold water in a saucepan, then bring to the boil over a medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until the agar has fully dissolved.
5 minStep 2: Lower the heat and pour in 1 ¾ cups whole milk and ¾ cup whipping cream, stirring until the mixture is hot again and just steaming; do not let it boil over.
3 minStep 3: Take off the heat and stir in ½ tsp almond extract. Strain into a shallow 20 cm dish and skim off any bubbles.
2 minStep 4: Cool for 15 minutes, then chill for at least 1 hour, until the jelly is firm and wobbles in one piece when the dish is shaken.
75 minStep 5: Cut the jelly into 2 cm cubes. Mix the syrup from 1 tin lychees in syrup with 100 ml of cold water.
5 minStep 6: Divide the jelly and lychees between glasses, pour over the syrup, add 10 ½ oz crushed ice and finish with 1 ⅜ oz flaked almonds just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chè khúc bạch (almond milk jelly with lychees) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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