Authentic Che Thai (Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail)
Che Thai is a refreshing and dairy-free Vietnamese dessert that every Vietnamese kid grew up loving. It is made with Asian jelly, assorted fruits, and a yummy coconut sauce.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 ½ oz water chestnuts (cut into ¼ inch pieces, see note 2)
- 2 drops red food coloring
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 2 ½ oz water chestnuts (cut into ¼ inch pieces)
- ¼ tsp ube extract
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 1 can Aiyu jelly (20 oz, cut into ½ inch cubes)
- 1 can jackfruit (20 oz, thinly sliced)
- 1 can lychee (20 oz)
- 1 can longan (20 oz)
Instructions
- 1
Prep your ingredients
- 2
Open all the cans and drain them.
- 3
Cut the jelly and jackfruit. Set all the fruit and jelly aside in the fridge.
- 4
Make the coconut sauce
- 5
Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
- 6
Stir until the liquid starts to simmer.
- 7
Pour the sauce into a bowl and let it sit in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until room temperature. Placing the sauce in the freezer will help the sauce cool down quickly while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.
- 8
Make the colored pearls
- 9
Cut the water chestnuts into ¼ inch pieces and divide them evenly between 2 bowls.
- 10
Add the red food coloring to 1 bowl and the ube extract to the other bowl. Stir until the chestnuts are evenly coated.
- 11
Add the tapioca starch to each bowl. Stir until the chestnuts are evenly coated. Sift the water chestnuts using a fine mesh sieve to remove any excess starch.
- 12
Add water to a pot (~2 inches up the sides) and bring to a boil. Add the red and purple pearls in batches. Once you add the pearls to the boiling water, stir to prevent the pearls from sticking together.
- 13
Once the pearls float to the top, scoop them out and add them to a bowl of cold water. I like to put the red and purple pearls into separate bowls. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes to cool down.
- 14
Putting it all together
- 15
Now you're ready to make your drinks! Add 1-2 scoops of the red and purple pearls to a cup.
- 16
Follow with the jelly and assorted fruits.
- 17
Top with crushed ice and some coconut sauce.
- 18
Enjoy!