How to make Che Thai – Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail Dessert 🌈

coconut milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: evaporated milk

Almond milk is lower in calories and still creamy.

tapioca pearls

🥗Healthier: chia seeds

💰Cheaper: none

Chia seeds provide similar texture with added nutrients.

jackfruit

🥗Healthier: mango

💰Cheaper: none

Mango is widely available and offers a sweet flavor.

longan

🥗Healthier: lychee

💰Cheaper: none

Lychee is a similar fruit that can be easier to find.

Make the pandan jelly. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the agar agar, sugar, water, and pandan extract and heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to medium-low or low heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Make sure that all of the agar agar has completely dissolved.

Cool the pandan jelly. Then remove from heat and transfer to a heat-safe container, and let it cool on the counter. Once cool, remove from the container and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Prepare the water chestnuts. In a medium-sized bowl, add the diced water chestnuts and red food coloring. Mix until all the pieces are red. Then add the tapioca starch and toss until fully coated.

Boil. Heat water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Shake off any excess starch and add the coated water chestnuts, stirring continuously to prevent them from sticking. Boil for about 2-3 minutes until the rubies begin to float and the outside turns translucent. Then remove them from the water and transfer them into an ice bath to cool for at least 10 minutes. Then drain and set aside.

Cook the coconut milk. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then set aside to cool.

Prepare the fruit and reserve the syrup from the cans. Strain the lychee, longan, jackfruit, pineapple jelly, and coconut jelly and reserve all the syrup from these cans and jars. You don’t need to save the syrup from the palm toddy jar. Slice the jackfruit, toddy palm toddy seeds. Place all the fruit into a large mixing bowl.

Add the coconut milk, half and half, and reserved syrup. Add the coconut milk and half and half to the mixing bowl. Then add the reserved syrup 1/4 cup at a time to sweeten the coconut mixture until you reach your desired sweetness. Then add it to the large mixing bowl.

Assemble. In a tall glass, add the red rubies, the pandan jelly, mixed fruits, and coconut milk, and top with crushed ice. Enjoy!

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary