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Three-colour dessert
Chè ba màu: layers of red beans, mung bean paste and pandan jelly with coconut sauce and crushed ice
Chè are Vietnam's sweet soups and puddings, and chè ba màu, 'three-colour chè', is the one sold in tall glasses from Saigon street carts on hot afternoons. Sweet red beans, smooth yellow mung bean paste and green pandan jelly are layered with salty-sweet coconut sauce and crushed ice, then stirred together with a long spoon. The jelly is set with agar, so it is fully vegan. Every part can be made a day or two ahead. Chef's tip: add a good pinch of salt to the coconut sauce; it sounds odd, but the slight saltiness lifts the sweet beans and is what makes chè taste properly Vietnamese.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the red beans
For the mung bean layer
For the pandan jelly
For the coconut sauce
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Start with the jelly so it has time to set. Whisk ⅛ oz agar powder into 1 ¾ cups water in a small pan and leave for 5 minutes. Add 1 ¾ oz sugar and bring to the boil, stirring, then boil gently for 2 minutes; agar only sets once it has boiled. Stir in ½ tsp pandan extract, pour into a small dish about 2 cm deep and leave to cool, then chill for 30 minutes until firm.
5 minStep 2: Drain the 3 ½ oz split peeled mung beans and put them in a pan with 1 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, then simmer, half covered and stirring now and then, for 15–20 minutes, until completely soft and the water is absorbed. Watch the end, as they catch on the bottom.
20 minStep 3: Add 1 ¾ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt to the beans and mash with a wooden spoon or whizz with a stick blender into a smooth, thick paste, like soft mashed potato. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring, then leave to cool. If it is too stiff, loosen with a spoonful of coconut milk.
3 minStep 4: Put 14 oz tinned adzuki or red kidney beans, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and ¾ cup water in another pan and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring carefully, until the beans are glossy and the syrup has thickened slightly. Leave to cool.
10 minStep 5: For the coconut sauce, warm ¾ cup coconut milk with 1 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt over a low heat. Stir in 1 tsp tapioca starch or cornflour and keep stirring for 1–2 minutes, until it thickens like pouring custard. Don't let it boil hard, or it can split. Cool.
3 minStep 6: Cut the jelly into small cubes or thin strips. (Everything can now be chilled for up to 2 days, in separate covered containers.)
Step 7: To serve, spoon the red beans and a little syrup into four tall glasses, then add a layer of pandan jelly and a layer of mung bean paste. Pour over the coconut sauce and top with 10 ½ oz crushed ice. Serve with long spoons and stir everything together before eating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does three-colour dessert take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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