Description
Che Ba Mau, or Vietnamese Three Color Dessert, is a vibrant and refreshing layered sweet made with mung beans, red beans, pandan jelly, and coconut sauce served over crushed ice. It’s a popular vegan dessert known for its balance of textures and cooling flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon agar agar
- 2 cups water (for jelly)
- 1/2 teaspoon pandan extract
- 1/4 cup sugar (for jelly)
- 1 cup adzuki red beans, soaked overnight
- 4 cups water (for red beans)
- 3/4 cup sugar (for red beans)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for red beans)
- 1 cup peeled split mung beans, soaked overnight
- 1 1/4 cups water (for mung beans)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for mung beans)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for mung beans)
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 1/4 cups water (for coconut sauce)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for coconut sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for coconut sauce)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water (for slurry)
- Crushed ice (to serve)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine agar agar, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup sugar, and bring to a boil. Add pandan extract, simmer for 2 minutes, pour into a dish to set, and cut into strips or cubes once cooled.
- Cook soaked adzuki beans in 4 cups water until tender. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until sweetened and thickened.
- Cook soaked mung beans in 1 1/4 cups water until soft. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, simmer until thick. Blend until smooth and refrigerate.
- In a saucepan, combine coconut cream, 1 1/4 cups water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer, then whisk in a slurry of 1 tablespoon tapioca starch and 2 tablespoons water to thicken. Chill.
- To assemble, layer mung beans, red beans, and pandan jelly in a glass. Top with chilled coconut sauce and crushed ice. Mix before eating for best texture.
Notes
- Add canned fruits like jackfruit, lychee, or longan for extra sweetness.
- Replace pandan jelly with cendol for more chewiness.
- Steep pandan leaves in coconut cream for enhanced aroma.
- Use palm sugar instead of white sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Store components separately for up to 3 days and assemble before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Layered/Chilled
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
