Chè củ năng, water chestnut pearls in coconut milk
A Vietnamese summer dessert: chestnut puree colored with pandan and beetroot, coated in tapioca, and poached, served in a sugar candi syrup with a coconut…
Despite its tapioca coating, the chestnut in this Vietnamese dessert is very popular. This “chè” (a type of sweet soup) with candied sugar, in three colors, is best enjoyed cold on hot days.
Ingredients and directions
- Prep time30 min
- Cook time20 min
- Resting15 min
- Total1 hr 5 min
- DifficultyEasy
- CostBudget
- Cooking methodsaucepan
- Estimated cost$5.48 $1.37 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
people
- $1.10
- $0.21
- $1.52
- $2.55
- $0.10
Prices from US supermarkets for 3 of 5 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.
Directions
- Wash and peel the chestnuts, cut them into small pieces, and divide them into three portions. ≈ 8 min
- Combine the chopped pandan leaves with 100 ml of water, and strain to keep the juice; do the same with the beetroot. ≈ 4 min
- Soak the shredded coconut in 200 ml of warm water, then press it to extract the milk.
- Soak two portions of chestnuts in water for 15 minutes each, one in pandan juice and the other in beetroot juice, to color them green and pink.
- Roll the third portion in tapioca starch; drain the green and pink portions and roll them again in starch. ≈ 10 min
- Melt 200g of sugar candy in 400ml of boiling water, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then refrigerate.
- Cook each color separately in boiling water, then rinse it in cold water to prevent it from sticking together.
- Place each color in a separate bowl of syrup: this prevents the pearls from sticking together and ensures they are fully coated in sugar. ≈ 3 min
- Heat the coconut milk with the fresh milk and the remaining sugar until it simmers, stirring occasionally. Then, remove from the heat. ≈ 8 min
- In glasses, arrange the pearls, syrup, coconut sauce, and a few ice cubes. ≈ 3 min
The bill
Chè củ năng, water chestnut pearls in coconut milk
- 100 g of water chestnuts$1.10
- 270 g of candied sugar$0.21
- 200 g of shredded coconut$1.52
- 100 g of tapioca starch$2.55
- 100 ml of fresh milk$0.10
Total$5.48
that's $1.37 per person
Estimated price; varies by store.
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