Singapore Mountain Shaved Ice with Red Beans and Palm Seeds

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Ice Kachang is Singapore's iconic hawker-centre shaved ice dessert, a rainbow mountain of finely shaved ice drenched in colorful floral and palm sugar syrups. Beneath the icy crown hide little treasures of chewy attap chee palm seeds, sweet red beans, grass jelly, and creamed corn, all finished with a generous splash of evaporated and condensed milk for that nostalgic Singaporean sweetness.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 395 kcalCalories
• 8 gFat
• 4 gSaturated Fat
• 74 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 60 gSugar
• 7 gProtein
• 180 mgSodium
• 430 mgPotassium
• 190 mgCalcium
• 2 mgIron
• 3 mgVitamin C
• 130 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the sweet toppings

• 1 cup canned sweetened red beans, drained and chilled
• 1 cup creamed corn (canned or thawed from frozen)
• 1/2 cup canned attap chee (palm seeds), drained and chilled
• 1 cup grass jelly, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

For the syrups

• 1/4 cup rose syrup (such as Rooh Afza)
• 1/4 cup pandan syrup or blue sarsi syrup
• 1/4 cup gula melaka syrup (1/2 cup chopped palm sugar melted with 3 tbsp water)
• 2 tbsp grenadine or cherry syrup

For assembly

• 8 cups finely shaved or crushed ice
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk, well chilled
• 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 4 small scoops vanilla or pandan ice cream (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare all the sweet toppings ahead of time and keep them chilled in the refrigerator while you shave the ice.
2. If making the gula melaka syrup from scratch, simmer chopped palm sugar with 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan until completely melted and slightly thickened, then set aside to cool.
3. Crush or shave enough ice to mound generously into four deep bowls; a frozen-impulse shaved ice machine gives the snowiest texture, but pulsing ice in a high-powered blender with a splash of water also produces a soft, fluffy consistency.
4. Mound the shaved ice into each serving bowl, packing it lightly so the syrups can soak through without collapsing.
5. Tuck spoonfuls of the red beans, creamed corn, attap chee, and grass jelly into little pockets around the centre of each ice mountain.
6. Drizzle the rose, pandan, and gula melaka syrups over the top in stripes, letting the colors streak dramatically down the sides of the bowl.
7. Pour a splash of chilled evaporated milk over each bowl, then zigzag condensed milk across the very top.
8. Crown each serving with a small scoop of ice cream if using, and serve immediately with a long spoon before the ice melts.

Cook’s Notes

• Canned sweet adzuki or Filipino-style red beans save hours of soaking and have the exact jammy texture you want for authentic ice kachang.
• Pulse ice in a blender in two small batches so you don't jam the blades; add just 1 tablespoon of water per batch to keep the snow dry and fluffy.
• For a fully vegan version, swap the evaporated and condensed milk for full-fat coconut milk and a drizzle of coconut sugar syrup.
• Always serve within 30 seconds of assembly — Singapore's humidity melts the ice fast and the first bite should crackle.
• Try mixing in fresh jackfruit arils, lychee, or ripe mango cubes for a fruity tropical twist popular in modern hawker stalls.

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