March 3rd, 2010
3 Color Bean Drink
Sitting in a Vietnamese pho restaurant, I gave HC the weirdest look when he asked the waiter to add a 3 color bean drink to our order. I eyed it suspiciously when it arrived at the table; its mysterious red, green, yellow and white components stared right back at me. I bravely took the straw for a tentative sip. I think my eyes must have gone right out of my head – it was glorious. I greedily hoarded the drink on my side of the table for the rest of lunch.
It was only an afterthought, but I did eventually wonder what I was drinking. There were some red kidney or adzuki beans in there with sweetened white coconut milk, but the unidentifiable yellow mush and green gelatinous strings left me perplexed. I did some research online to learn the yellow beans were mung beans and the green jelly was just that – green jelly, available canned. Feeling experimental, I headed to the Asian market 99 Ranch to get my supplies and make it for myself.
Recipe
Having soaked both varieties of beans overnight, I boiled them with sugar to eliminate some of their inherent beany-ness. The tiny yellow mung beans simmered into the paste I was hoping for, while the red kidney beans remained intact. I gently heated the coconut milk to get some sugar dissolved in there for more sweetness. The can of green jelly I selected was too soft (think runny Jello) and had an artificial banana-ish flavor to it, which differed from the almost-crunchy flavorless strings I remembered. I cut it into strips anyway. Wishing for a blender, I probably destroyed the blades on my food processor to get some crushed ice.
With the components ready, I carefully layered each ingredient into a tall clear glass; part of the appeal here is the presentation. A straw and a spoon (for the bigger bites) were the final touch.
The product I achieved was a semi-success. It was certainly drinkable and tasty enough, but was in no way the drink I obsessed over at the restaurant. If you’ve never tried one of these drinks, I would recommend heading to a Vietnamese restaurant before you give this a try at home. Also – if anyone can direct me to a better recipe, I would love to know about it.
(My Mediocre Version of a) 3 Color Bean Drink
Serves about 6
Printable recipe
Ingredients
1 cup dried red kidney beans or adzuki beans
1 cup dried split/peeled yellow mung beans
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups sugar (or more to taste)
1 cup of green jelly strips
2 cups crushed ice
Directions
1. In two separate bowls, cover red beans and yellow beans with an inch of water. Soak overnight.
2. Transfer each type of bean into its own small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to each, and add more water to cover beans by an inch if necessary. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Stirring occasionally, simmer each pot until soft (about an hour for the red beans and 45 minutes to an hour for the yellow beans). The red beans should be whole, but the yellow beans will begin to break down. Refrigerate.
3. Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar to the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Refrigerate.
4. Once components are chilled, layer equal parts in a tall glass in this order (quantities to taste): yellow bean, red bean, green jelly. Fill the rest of the cup to the brim with crushed ice, then pour coconut milk over the top.
5. Stored separately, ingredients will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Making Ethnic Foods at Home
A lot of times, the dish you had at a great Thai/Ethiopian/Mexican/etc. restaurant seems inaccessible for home cooking. If you seek out a Thai/Ethiopian/Mexican/etc. market, however, you’ll be surprised what some authentic ingredients can do for your dish. A small investment in a specialty cooking item, such as a clay pot, could also go a long way.
I will admit, though, that do-able does not always mean easy. I’ve really been wanting to try making dumplings or mochi from scratch, but something tells me I’m better off saving my time and getting some from a good restaurant. The same thing goes for more traditional cooking too – my homemade rendition of Julia Child’s boeuf bourginoun was delicious, but I’d just as soon let a chef prepare it for me next time.
