Vietnamese Three Color Pudding (Chè Ba Màu) Recipe

Introduction

Chè Ba Màu, or Vietnamese Three Color Pudding, is a delightful layered dessert combining sweet mung beans, vibrant pandan jelly, and rich red bean paste. Served chilled with crushed ice and creamy coconut sauce, it’s a refreshing treat perfect for warm days or any time you crave a sweet, colorful dessert.

Ingredients

• Yellow layer: 1/2 cup dried yellow peeled mung beans, 4 cups water (divided), 2 tablespoons sugar
• Green layer: 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon agar agar (or unflavored gelatin powder), 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pandan flavoring, 4 drops green food coloring (optional)
• Coconut sauce: 3/4 cup (6 ounces) coconut cream (not coconut milk), 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Red layer: 1 cup (8 ounces) sweetened adzuki red bean paste
• For serving: Crushed or shaved ice

Instructions

1. Step 1: One day before serving, soak the mung beans in 3 cups of water for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Step 2: To make the green layer, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in agar agar and 3 tablespoons sugar until dissolved. Reduce to a simmer, add pandan flavoring and green food coloring if using. Pour into a wide container and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours until set firmly.
3. Step 3: On the day of serving, rinse the soaked mung beans and add them to a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, add 2 tablespoons sugar, and cook for 10 minutes until beans are tender. Let cool, then mash.
4. Step 4: Slice the pandan jelly into thin ribbons or 1/2-inch cubes right in its container.
5. Step 5: Make the coconut sauce by bringing coconut cream to a boil over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring vigorously until thickened and coating the back of a spoon. Let cool.
6. Step 6: Assemble the dessert in tall clear glasses: layer 2 tablespoons red bean paste, 2 tablespoons mashed mung beans, 2 tablespoons pandan jelly, and top with 1 cup crushed ice. Drizzle 2 tablespoons coconut sauce over the top. You can adjust the layers and ice to your preference.
7. Step 7: Serve with a tall spoon and straw. Enjoy by mixing all the layers or savoring each separately.

Tips & Variations

• For a vegan version, use agar agar instead of gelatin for the green layer.
• If pandan flavoring is unavailable, you can infuse fresh pandan leaves in the boiled water when making the green layer for natural aroma and taste.
• Adjust the sweetness by adding or reducing sugar according to your preference in each component.
• You can prepare the red bean paste from scratch by cooking adzuki beans with sugar, or buy ready-made sweetened paste for convenience.

Storage

Store the prepared mung bean mixture, pandan jelly, red bean paste, and coconut sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week. Assemble the dessert just before serving for the best texture and freshness. Leftover assembled pudding can be kept refrigerated for a few hours but it’s best enjoyed fresh. Reheat the coconut sauce gently before serving if it thickens too much.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make Chè Ba Màu gluten-free?

Yes, this dessert is naturally gluten-free as it uses mung beans, agar agar, and coconut cream. Just ensure any added ingredients like pandan flavoring are also gluten-free.

What can I substitute if I don’t have pandan flavoring?

If pandan flavoring is not available, you can use fresh pandan leaves by tying a few leaves into a knot and simmering them briefly in the water used for the green layer to impart subtle flavor and aroma.

Vietnamese Three Color Pudding (Chè Ba Màu) Recipe

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Chè Ba Màu, or Vietnamese Three Color Pudding, is a refreshing and colorful dessert made from layers of sweetened mung beans, pandan jelly, and red bean paste, topped with crushed ice and a rich coconut sauce. This vibrant treat offers a delightful combination of textures and flavors, making it a perfect sweet ending on a warm day.

• Author: Elena
• Prep Time: 10 minutes soaking time excluded (overnight soak recommended)
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: Approximately 4 hours including chilling and soaking times
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vietnamese
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Yellow Layer

• 1/2 cup dried yellow peeled mung beans
• 4 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Green Layer

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon agar agar (or unflavored gelatin powder)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pandan flavoring
• 4 drops green food coloring (optional)

Coconut Sauce

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) coconut cream (Do not use coconut milk)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Red Layer

• 1 cup (8 ounces) sweetened adzuki red bean paste

For Serving

• Crushed or shaved ice

Instructions

1. Soak the mung beans: One day before serving, soak the dried mung beans in 3 cups of water for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator to soften them thoroughly.
2. Make the green layer: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat in a small pot. Add agar agar and 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes until fully dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer, mix in pandan flavoring, and add green food coloring if desired. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until set firm like jelly.
3. Cook the mung beans: On serving day, rinse soaked mung beans under cold running water and place them in a medium pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to medium. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and let simmer for 10 minutes until the beans are tender but still hold shape. Cool slightly, then mash the beans with a fork or potato masher.
4. Slice the pandan jelly: Remove the pandan jelly from the refrigerator and cut into thin ribbons or 1/2-inch cubes directly in the container without needing to transfer.
5. Make the coconut sauce: In a small pot over medium heat, bring the coconut cream to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Assemble the chè ba màu: In tall clear glasses, layer 2 tablespoons of red bean paste, 2 tablespoons of mashed mung beans, 2 tablespoons of pandan jelly, and 1 cup of crushed ice. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the coconut sauce on top. Repeat to make 4 servings in total. Serve with a tall spoon and straw, allowing each person to mix or enjoy layers separately as desired.

Notes

• Use coconut cream for the sauce to ensure a rich and creamy texture; do not substitute with coconut milk.
• Agar agar keeps the green layer vegan-friendly, but gelatin can be used if not needed.
• The dessert ingredients can be refrigerated for up to one week.
• Adjust the amount of each layer and ice to suit personal taste preferences.
• Pandan flavoring adds a distinctive aroma; green food coloring is optional for vibrant appearance.

Keywords: Chè Ba Màu, Vietnamese dessert, three color pudding, mung beans, pandan jelly, coconut sauce, adzuki beans, vegan dessert