3 Color Desserts (Chè Ba Màu)

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Chè Ba Màu - 3 Color Desserts

Estimated Servings: 4

Step 1: Prepare green layer

1 tablespoon agar-agar

3 cups water

2/3 cup sugar

2 drops pandan extract

Pour the agar-agar into the water and stir it up until it dissolves completely. Then add this mixture into a small pot and turn your stove on high heat. Now pour the sugar into the pot and stir it with the mixture until it completely dissolves and everything comes to a boil. Next, remove it from the heat and pour the mixture into a container. Then stir in some pandan extract or green food coloring. Finally refrigerate the mixture for about 20-30 minutes or until it is solid.

Step 2: Create yellow layer

½ cup hulled yellow mung beans

½ cup water

Pinch salt (or 1/8 tsp. salt)

1 teaspoon sugar

Soak the mung beans in water for about 30 minutes or until it has expanded in size and has gotten softer. Then drain them and bring ½ cup water to a boil on high heat. Now add in your soaked mung beans along with a pinch of salt and turn your heat on medium low. Then continuously stir your mung beans around for about 10 minutes or until it becomes a smooth, mash potato-like consistency. Next, remove it from the heat and mix in your sugar. Finally set it aside and allow it to cool completely.

Step 3: Make red layer

2 cups canned kidney beans (can also use adzuki beans)

1/3 cup sugar 

1/3 cup water

Rinse and drain your kidney beans thoroughly. Then turn your stove onto high, pour in your water, add in the sugar, and stir it around until it dissolves. When the water comes to a boil, add in the kidney beans and lower the heat to medium low cooking the beans for about 10 minutes. Finally remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.

Step 4: Assemble dessert

½ cup coconut cream

1 pinch salt (1/8 tsp.)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon tapioca flour or cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Crushed ice

To make the coconut cream topping, dissolved the tapioca flour or cornstarch into the water. Then add your coconut cream into a small pot and turn your stove on medium high heat. Now add in the sugar and a pinch of salt and dissolve it completely into the coconut cream. Next add in the water-flour mixture that was prepared earlier and stir it into the coconut cream until it thickens. Then set it aside to cool off.

To assemble the dessert, shred your green jelly with grater and set it aside. Then add some red beans, mung beans, and pandan jelly shreds to a serving glass. Finally, top it off with the coconut cream and ice.