Chè ba màu: the three-color dessert

Chè ba màu is a Vietnamese layered dessert whose name means "three-color sweet soup." It is built in a tall glass from sweet red beans, smooth yellow mung bean paste and green pandan jelly, then topped with coconut sauce and crushed ice and stirred together before eating.

It is pronounced roughly "cheh bah mow," and it is one of the easiest chè to recognize because of its stripes.

What are the three colors?

• Red: sweetened red beans (đậu đỏ), soft but still holding their shape.
• Yellow: mung bean paste (đậu xanh), cooked until creamy.
• Green: pandan jelly made with agar, or green jelly strands.

On top goes a salty-sweet coconut sauce and plenty of crushed ice. Some versions add tapioca pearls or use other jellies, and the colors vary a little from vendor to vendor.

Ingredients

Makes about 4 tall glasses. You can make each component a day ahead.

Red beans

• 1 cup (200 g) small red beans (adzuki), soaked overnight
• 4 cups (950 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
• Pinch of salt

Mung bean paste

• 3/4 cup (150 g) peeled split mung beans, soaked 1 to 2 hours
• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) water
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• Pinch of salt

Pandan jelly

• 2 cups (475 ml) water
• 1 teaspoon (about 2 to 3 g) agar powder
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pandan extract, or juice from blended pandan leaves

Coconut sauce

• 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch or cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

To serve: crushed ice.

Steps

1. Cook the red beans. Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water in a pot and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender but not mushy. Add the sugar and salt, simmer 10 more minutes, then let the beans cool in their syrup.

1. Cook the mung beans. Drain, then simmer with the water for about 20 to 25 minutes until very soft and the water is mostly absorbed. Stir in the sugar and salt, then mash or blend into a smooth, thick paste. It should hold soft peaks.

1. Make the pandan jelly. Whisk the agar powder into the cold water in a small pot, then bring to a boil, stirring, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes so the agar fully dissolves. Stir in the sugar and pandan. Pour into a shallow dish and let it set at room temperature, then chill. Agar sets firmly within about 30 minutes to an hour. Cut it into small cubes or thin strips.

1. Make the coconut sauce. Warm the coconut milk, sugar and salt over medium-low heat. Stir in the starch slurry and heat gently until slightly thickened. Do not let it boil hard, or it may split. Cool.

1. Assemble. In each tall glass, add a layer of red beans with a little of their syrup, then a layer of mung bean paste, then the green jelly. Top with crushed ice and spoon the coconut sauce over everything.

1. Serve. Give everyone a long spoon and tell them to stir it all together before eating.

Tips for neat layers

• Cool every component first. Warm beans will melt the ice and blur the layers.
• Keep the mung bean paste thick. It acts as a shelf between the red beans and the jelly.
• Use clear glasses so the colors show.
• Add ice last, just before serving.

Can you make it ahead?

Yes. The red beans, mung bean paste, jelly and coconut sauce all keep in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Assemble when you want to serve. Stir the coconut sauce before using, since it thickens when cold.

Shortcuts

• Use canned sweetened red beans to skip the longest step. Taste them first, as they can be sweeter than homemade.
• Buy ready-made pandan jelly or jelly strands from an Asian grocery store.
• Use frozen peeled mung beans where you can find them.

How sweet should it be?

Chè ba màu is meant to be refreshing rather than sugary. Taste each part as you go and remember that the ice will dilute it. You can always add a spoonful of syrup or coconut sauce at the table.

Allergen and diet notes

This recipe contains coconut. It is free of dairy, eggs, peanuts and gluten as written, but check packaged jellies and canned beans for additives. Some vendors add crushed peanuts on top, so ask when buying.

For the bigger picture, read what chè is, or browse 15 Vietnamese desserts to know and try.

Make the beans, paste and jelly the day before, then assemble with fresh ice right before serving; that is the secret to clean stripes.