What is chè đậu xanh?
Chè is a general term used to describe Vietnamese soupy desserts topped with coconut milk. In Vietnamese, chè means dessert, and đậu xanh means mung bean, so when put together, “chè đậu xanh” translates to “mung bean dessert”. Mung bean is native to India and a type of pulse. A pulse is an edible seed part of the legume family, and is a common ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine.
There are two different types of mung beans, shelled and unshelled. The unshelled is green in color, while the shelled is yellow in color. You can find both types of mung beans in savory and sweet dishes. However, today I will focus on making the mung bean dessert using the unshelled (green colored) type. Perhaps, its popularity in Vietnam is due to the fact that they are packed with nutrients, according to the article “Health Benefits of Mung Beans” written by Timothy Huzar.
How to make chè đậu xanh?
Making chè đậu xanh requires combining 4 simple ingredients, mung bean (đậu xanh), water, sugar and vanilla extract. Yep, it is that easy. And if you use a pressure cooker, you can make the dish in less than 20 minutes.
Both types of mung beans are found in the Asian grocery store. However, if you don’t have access to an Asian grocery store nearby, you can purchase them by clicking here for the unshelled mung beans and here for the shelled mung beans.
How to serve mung bean desert?
There are a variety of ways to serve mung bean dessert, including but not limited to…
- Topping it with a generous serving of coconut milk.
- Serving it over ice and a generous amount of coconut milk.
- Serving it with over ice, coconut milk and tapioca pearls.
- Or just plain by itself hot or cold, which is how I prefer it 🙂
So the next time you feel like dessert, grab some mung beans, water, sugar and vanilla extract and give this recipe a try. After all, with it being nutrient packed, you can feel good about having dessert.
Chè Đậu Xanh (Sweet Mung Bean Dessert).
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry mung beans
- 3 cups water
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp of sugar set aside to add to the coconut milk topping.
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp added to the mung beans and ¼ tsp added to the coconut milk topping.
Instructions
- Soak the mung beans in water overnight, 24 hours if possible.
- Rinse the soaked beans and put the beans in the pressure cooker.
- Add 3 cups of water and salt to the pot.
- Cover the pot and turn the temperature on 'Hi' for 10 minutes. If you prefer, you can follow the instructions provided by your pressure cooker for cooking the beans.
- After 10 minutes, carefully remove the lid and add ½ cup of granulated sugar. Add more or less depending on taste. If there's a thin film on top, remove it using a spoon. Whenever I use the pressure cooker to make bean dessert, I always quick release right after it's done cooking. Otherwise, the beans will over cook.
- Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well & enjoy.
- If you're going to add coconut topping, then pour a can of coconut milk into a pot. Add sugar and salt and stir to combine. Gently heat until mixture is warm. Give the coconut milk a taste then adjust the sweetness accordingly.
For more Vietnamese dessert, chè recipes, click here. If you like this post, feel free to share it on Facebook by using the button below.
