Che Ba Mau Vietnamese Three-Color Dessert

Looking for a refreshing and delicious Vietnamese dessert? Look no further than Che Ba Mau! This popular Vietnamese dish, also known as the Vietnamese three-color dessert, is made up of 3 vibrant layers. 

One layer is made of sweetened red beans, another layer of mung beans, and a final layer of green pandan jelly, all topped with coconut sauce and shaved ice. 

If you’re looking for a cool treat on a hot day, this is the perfect dish for you!

What is che ba mau or chè ba màu?

Chè ba màu is a popular Vietnamese dessert made with red kidney beans, mung beans, and pandan jelly. This dessert shares a similarity with Halo Halo, a popular Filipino dessert.

In Vietnamese, Che ba mau is pronounced “chey bah mao”, and like a lot of other Vietnamese desserts, che ba mau is not as overly sweet as its Western counterparts, but it is no less delicious.

The direct translation of Chè ba màu (Vietnamese to English) is Chè – dessert, ba – three, and màu – color. 

Che Ba Mau in Vietnam

Making Che Ba Mau at Home

Making the che ba mau recipe is fairly straightforward, however, it is a lengthy process as there are steps that include soaking and setting.

This Vietnamese three-color dessert consists, not surprisingly, of three layers; red beans, yellow mung beans, and green pandan jelly. To complete the dessert, che ba mau is served with crushed ice and a coconut sauce.

In this che ba mau recipe, we make the yellow mung bean paste and green pandan jelly from scratch, and use canned red kidney beans that we sweeten separately.

Che Ba Mau Ingredients

Most of the ingredients to make che ba mau at home can be found at your local international or Asian supermarket or, if you have trouble there, you can order them online.

And unless you have access to a local Vietnamese restaurant that serves che ba mau, then it will be worth the effort the additional effort to secure the ingredients.

• Split Yellow Mung Beans – these are split and shelled mung beans where the outer green shell has been removed. 
• Agar Agar Powder
• Pandan Extract
• Red Kidney Beans or Sweet Red Beans
• White granulated sugar
• Coconut Cream
• Tapioca Starch
• Ice Shaver

Instructions

Mung Beans – The Yellow Layer

Step 1 – Soak the yellow mung beans in water for at least four hours or overnight.

Step 2 – Add the mung beans and a cup of water to a medium saucepan. Cook the bean for about half an hour on low heat until the beans absorb the water and become mushy. You may need to add additional water along the way.

Step 3 – Add sugar and continue cooking on low heat until the mixture is a paste consistency – around 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Red Kidney Beans – The Red Layer

Step 1 – Empty the can of red kidney beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Place in a bowl.

Step 2 – In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Step 3 – Add the sugar syrup to the red beans and let soak for an hour.

If using sweetened red bean paste, simply open the can and set it aside until it is time to assemble the Vietnamese dessert.

Pandan Jelly Layer – The Green Layer

Step 1 – In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the agar agar powder and the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 2 – Continue cooking the mixture for about a minute before removing it from the heat. Add the pandan extract.

Step 3 – Pour into a glass container and allow it to cool.

Step 4 – Transfer the container to the fridge and allow the jelly to form. This will usually take at least two hours.

Step 5 – Cut the jelly into your desired shapes. You can cut it into cubes or thin strips, or a combination of both.

Agar Agar Powder

Agar agar powder is a type of jelly powder derived from red algae and it is commonly used in Asia as a gelling agent for jelly desserts.

When mixed with water, the powder forms a gel which can be set into shapes or used as a topping for desserts.

Agar agar powder is high in dietary fiber and also contains minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. It is often used as a vegetarian or vegan alternative to gelatin. Agar agar powder is available in most Asian supermarkets and online.

Making Pandan Paste

In this che ba mau recipe we use pandan extract. If you have the time, making a pandan paste would be a great addition to the rainbow dessert.

To make pandan juice, first cut the leaves into chunks and blend them with water in a food processor until fine. Then strain out any extra pulp before pouring it into an empty jar!

Coconut Sauce

The coconut sauce for this recipe uses coconut cream, sugar, salt, and tapioca starch. It is possible to just add some sugar to coconut cream, but this method will provide an extra depth of coconut flavor to the dessert.

Step 1 – In a small pan, over medium heat, mix coconut cream, sugar, and salt 

Step 2 – Add the tapioca flour mixing carefully with a whisk, and cook for about two minutes until the mixture thickens. 

Step 3 – Remove from the heat and pour the coconut sauce into a bowl to cool.

Shaved Ice

To get make crushed ice, you can use a blender or an ice shaver such as the Hawaiian Shaved Ice and Snow Cone Machine.

Substitutions and Variations

• If you can’t get your hands on extract, you can use pandan essence as well as a small amount of green food coloring. 
• You can substitute coconut milk for coconut cream, but you will need to simmer the coconut milk on a stovetop until the coconut milk reduces, increasing the flavor and thickness. See FAQ to see other methods of thickening coconut milk. 

Che Ba Mau or Che 3 Mau Assembly

Before making the shaved ice, remove all the other ingredients from the fridge and place them on the counter. The ice will melt quickly so you want everything on hand so the process moves quickly.

There are no strict rules for layering che ba mau other than having three distinct layers.

Step 1 – Start by adding some shaved ice to the glass, then add two tablespoons of the sweetened red beans for the red bean layer.

Step 2 – Follow this by adding two tablespoons of mung bean paste for the yellow layer.

Step 3 – Add three tablespoons of the pandan jelly for the green layer, then add more crushed ice on top

Step 4 – To finish this Vietnamese three-color dessert, top it with a tablespoon of coconut sauce.

If you want to make this Vietnamese dessert a little more refreshing, add some shaved ice between the bean layers.

Conclusion to Chè ba màu – Vietnamese Three-Color Dessert

This popular and refreshing Vietnamese dessert recipe is made of peeled split mung beans, pandan jelly layers, and sweetened red beans served with crushed ice and a drizzle of coconut.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out some of these other Asian recipes:

• Com Tam, Vietnamese Broken Rice
• Rawon, Indonesian Beef Soup
• Morning Glory Vegetable Stir-fry