Mango sticky rice is the most famous Thai dessert, and for good reason! If you never thought fruit and rice would go together, this will blow your mind. Sweet sticky rice pairs unexpectedly well with sweet and juicy fresh mangoes. It's loved the world over, and is arguably the Thai national dessert.

The classic version of mango and sticky rice uses white sticky rice, but nowadays you can find it with other colours of rice based on natural dyes. In this post I'll show you how to make both the classic white and all the different colours you see here!

Ingredients and Notes

There are 4 components to Thai mango sticky rice, but the ingredients for each one is incredibly short! Here are important notes about them, and for amounts, see the full recipe card below.

1. Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice

• Thai white glutinous rice, also known as Thai sweet rice or Thai sticky rice. To make sure it is the right kind, ensure it is long grain and a product of Thailand.
• Coconut milk, a good coconut milk is important here. I like Aroy-D in the carton (not the can!) as shown in the pic. Also check out this post about how to choose good coconut milk. Do not use coconut cream for this recipe.
• Salt
• Granulated sugar. While you might be tempted to use palm sugar in Thai desserts, white sugar is used in this recipe to maintain the white colour of the rice. But if you're making a coloured rice, you can substitute half or all of the white sugar with palm sugar.

How to Make Mango Sticky Rice

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps involved, but if it's your first time, I highly recommend watching the full video tutorial to ensure success!

For the sweet sticky rice

1. Wash the glutinous rice about 4-5 times until the water runs mostly clear. Then soak the rice in plenty of room temp water for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
2. If you want to colour the rice, you can add the colour to the soaking water (see instructions in the section below).
3. Drain the rice very well and place it on a moist (not wet!) muslin or tea towel, then fold the edges of the cloth over the rice. You can steam different colours at once, as long as they don't touch.
4. Steam the rice for 20-25 minutes over boiling water. Make sure the rice doesn't cover the entire rack - there should be space around the rice to allow the steam to come up.

1. Prepare the coconut syrup. In a pot, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt; and if you have a pandan leaf handy you can throw it in as well. Cook it over medium high heat, and at the first sign of bubbling, turn off the heat and keep covered until the rice is done. Do not let this syrup reduce.
2. Macerate the rice. Shortly before the sticky rice is done, reheat the syrup back up so it is piping hot. When the rice is done, immediately place it into a mixing bowl and pour the hot syrup over the rice. Stir to break up any lumps, then cover with a lid, a plate, or aluminum foil and let sit for 20 minutes. It's very important both the rice AND the syrup are very hot to ensure proper absorption.
3. After 20 minutes, fold the bottom of the rice up to the top to help redistribute the liquid, and let sit for at least another 20 minutes or until ready to serve.
4. The rice should've absorbed all the liquid and looks plump and shiny, but not mushy. There should be no pooling liquid remaining.

For The Salted Coconut Sauce

1. Stir the rice flour in some water until there are no more lumps.
2. Combine the rice flour slurry, coconut milk, and salt in a small pot. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
3. Pour into a bowl and let cool. It will not look like much has happened at this point.
4. After it has cooled it'll thicken to the perfect consistency. This will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

For the crispy mung beans

1. Rinse the beans, add them to a small pot and cover with 2 cups of water.
2. Bring the water to a simmer, and as soon as it simmers immediately remove from heat and cover the pot; let sit for 10 minutes. Watch the beans carefully and turn the heat off as soon as the water is bubbling. Do not let them simmer or soak too long or they will overcook.
3. Promptly drain and rinse the beans in cold water then dry them on paper towel.
4. In a lightly greased pan, toast the beans over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the beans are dry, crunchy and slightly golden brown. Cool on a plate. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a month.

Assembly

Scoop the rice onto a plate, then drizzle the salted coconut sauce over the rice. Sprinkle the crispy mung beans on top and serve beside fresh mangoes. Enjoy!

Making Colourful Sticky Rice

There are 2 ways to colour the sticky rice: colour the soaking water OR colour the coconut syrup. If using natural dyes, I find it is easier to add the colour to the water than to the coconut syrup, because colours have a hard time infusing into fatty liquid.

If using food colouring, then it will be easier to just stir a few drops into the coconut syrup.

Here are the natural dyes Thai people like to use. The following are formulas for 1 cup of soaking water, which is enough to soak up to 1 cup of sticky rice. Tip: It is much easier to see the dying process in action in the video!

• Green - Pandan leaves + food colouring. Blend 50g pandan leaves with 1 cup of water until mostly fine. If you have a super blender like a Vitamix don't go max power and completely annihilate it as it will become bitter, and all of the fibers won't be caught in a sieve. The rice will not pick up that much green, so I find adding a couple of drops of green food colouring is necessary here for a bright colour.
• Blue - Butterfly pea flowers. Steep 20 dried butterfly pea flowers in ½ cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Drain, then add ½ cup of cold water to cool it down. Make sure the water is room temp before you soak the rice.
• Purplish blue - Butterfly pea flowers + lime juice. After you get the blue water from above, add about 2 teaspoons of lime juice to turn the colour purple. It will look quite purple now, but will turn more blue after steaming.
• Yellow - turmeric. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder in about ¼ cup of hot water and stir to extract the colour. Add ¾ cup of cold water to cool it down. Make sure the water is room temp before you soak the rice.
• Orange - red beets. Grate about ¼ of a beet into 1 cup of room temp water, then strain. The water looks red but the rice will turn orange after steaming.
• Pink - Food colouring. In Thailand we have a type of wood called mai faang that we use to extract pink colour, but since it's not availablee here, you will need to use food colouring.
• Dark purple - black sticky rice. Substitute 25% of the white glutinous rice with black glutinous rice (so if making 1 cup of rice, use ¼ cup black rice and ¾ cup white rice). Pour 1 cup of hot-off-the-boil water over the black rice and cover and steep for at least 30 minutes; or let it go until the water cools down to room temp. If the water is still hot add some ice cubes to cool it down, then add the washed white rice into it and let the two soak together for the required 4 hours. The initial hot soak is necessary for the black rice because it is a whole grain rice, and without the hot soak it will be too chewy.
  **You will need slightly less coconut milk in the syrup if making black sticky rice because the black rice does not absorb liquid readily.

Logistical Tip for making multiple colours: I recommend making the same amount of each colour to make the math easy on yourself. Make the syrup in one big batch, then measure the total volume and divide it by the number of colours you have, so you know how much syrup is needed for each batch.

Recipe Card

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Thai Mango and Sticky Rice

An iconic dessert of Thailand. Mango and sticky rice has it all: sweet, salty, fruity, crunchy...it is the perfect balance and explains why it is famous the world over!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Rice Soaking Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6 servings

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

Coconut Sticky Rice

• 1 cup white glutinous rice see notes 1 and 2
• ⅔ cup coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ cup sugar

Salted Coconut Sauce

• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon rice flour
• 1 Tablespoon water

Others

• 2 Tablespoons shelled and split mung beans
• 3 sweet, ripe mangoes see note 3

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the sweet sticky rice:

• *If you want to make colourful rice, first prepare the soaking water using instructions in the blog post above.

  Wash the rice by placing it in a mixing bowl and cover with cold water, then vigorously swish the rice with your hand to release loose starch. Pour off the cloudy water and repeat the process 4 more times or until the water runs mostly clear.
  1 cup white glutinous rice
• Soak the rice with room temp water for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. If you're using naturally dyed water to soak the rice, refrigerate the rice after 4 hours of soaking if you're not yet ready to steam.

  While the rice is soaking, make the salted coconut sauce and the crispy mung beans (below).
• Preheat the steamer by bringing it to a full boil over high heat. While you wait for the water to boil, drain the rice very well, shaking off excess water in a sieve until there is no more dripping. Line a steamer rack with moist muslin (not soaking wet!) or a thin white tea towel and place the rice on the cloth. Fold the edges of the cloth over the rice, making sure the rice doesn't cover the entire rack - there should be space around the rice to allow steam to come up. Cover the steamer rack with a lid.
• Steam the rice for 20-25 minutes over rapidly boiling water, until the rice is fully cooked through (it should not be crunchy in the middle).
• While the rice is cooking, make the coconut syrup. Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small pot. If you have a pandan leaf handy, tie it into a knot and throw it in for extra aroma. Cook it over medium heat, and as soon as it starts to bubble, turn off the heat and cover. You will need to reheat this once the rice is ready.
  ⅔ cup coconut milk, ½ teaspoon table salt, ½ cup sugar
• Few minutes before the rice is done, reheat the syrup so it is steaming hot then keep covered. When the rice is done, immediately place the rice into a mixing bowl and immediately pour the syrup over the rice. Stir to break up any lumps, then cover with a lid, a plate, or aluminum foil and let sit for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, use a rubber spatula to fold the bottom part of the rice up to the top to help redistribute the syrup, and let sit for at least another 20 minutes or until ready to serve. At this stage the rice will keep at room temp all day.

For the salted coconut sauce:

• Stir the rice flour into the water until there are no more lumps.
  1 teaspoon rice flour, 1 Tablespoon water
• Combine the rice flour slurry, coconut milk, and salt in a small pot. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool completely before serving.
  ½ cup coconut milk, ¼ teaspoon table salt

For the crispy mung beans:

• Rinse the beans in cold water and add them to a small pot and cover with about 2 cups of water.
  2 Tablespoons shelled and split mung beans
• Over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately remove from the heat and cover the pot for 10 minutes ONLY. Do not over-soak.
• Drain off the cooking water and rinse the beans in cold water. Lay the beans on a paper towel to dry.
• In a lightly greased sauté pan, toast the beans over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the beans are dry, crunchy and start developing a light golden colour.
• Let cool on a plate. This can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Assembly:

• Serve the rice beside sweet, fresh cut mangoes. Spoon some salted coconut sauce over the rice and sprinkle with the crispy mung beans.
  3 sweet, ripe mangoes

Video

Notes

1. White glutinous rice is also labelled as white "sweet rice". Make sure it is long grain and a product of Thailand.
2. If making the black sticky rice version, use ¼ cup black sticky rice, ¾ cup white sticky rice, and reduce the coconut milk for the syrup to ½ cup (120 ml). See black rice soaking method in the blog post above.
3. The quality of mangoes is so important for this dessert. I prefer Ataulfo mangoes (aka Manila or Champagne mangoes). See more mango tips in the blog post. 

The post Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

When Sago is NOT Sago

If you do a Google search of "sago desserts" you'll come across lots of recipes for mango and coconut sago puddings. But look into the recipes, and you'll notice that these puddings are actually made from tapioca pearls.

But if they’re made from tapioca, why are they called sago? WELL, "Breaking News" ... that is because these tapioca pearls have been used as a cheaper imitation of REAL sago pearls. And real sago pearls are made from a plant actually called sago palm.

What Happened to Real Sago?

So why did we need an imitation of sago in the first place? The problem with true sago is that they are precious. It takes sago palms at least 8-10 years to reach the right maturity, and then the harvesting and processing is super labour intensive.

This means that true sago pearls are limited in quantities and are much more expensive, so people started using tapioca pearls as a substitute, and the real stuff was forgotten for a long time. Only recently did it make a bit of a comeback thanks to social media spreading news of the original substance.

So What is the Fake Stuff Then?

The fake stuff is tapioca pearls, made from tapioca starch. Tapioca starch is made from cassava (pic below), a widely available root vegetable that's a staple in the diets of many cuisines around the world. Needless to say, harvesting a root vegetable is much easier than harvesting a 10-year-old tree, making it a much more accessible and cheaper product.

The sad thing is that in Thailand we actually call tapioca pearls "sakoo," our term for sago; which as we now know is categorically wrong. But there was no other name given to it, presumably because they were originally "snuck in", pretending to be the "real thing". So now we're having to call the real one "true sago" or "tree sago," when really it should just simply be "sago."

How is Real Sago Made?

So what is so hard about making sago? Why are they so precious? In a nutshell, here's the traditional process:

1. Cut down a massive tree (the sago palm) that's been growing for 8-10 years.
2. Chop it up into manageable chunks.
3. Grate the flesh of the trunk and pound or blend it into mush with water.
4. Squeeze the grated flesh to extract the starch, then strain.
5. Let the starch in this "tree juice" settle, then pour off the excess water.
6. Break the starch up into small clumps and roll into small beads.
7. Dry the beads completely for storage and packaging.

Video: How sago pearls are made in Thailand

To really appreciate the process, watch the video below to see sago harvesting and processing in Southern Thailand (the video is in Thai, but it's mostly visual.) In the video some machines are involved in the process, but as you can see it's still pretty basic. If seeing this doesn't make you want to savour every bite of real sago...I don't know what will!

But how different are they, really?

This is where I will direct you to my video to find out! In the video you will see how they cook up, and also my reaction to tasting real sago for the first time. I'll then give you my verdict and whether it's worth searching for.

But here is some further analysis regarding the differences between the two that I didn't include in the video:

1. Colour

Real sago is made from unrefined starch and therefore has a colour; they can be anything from brown to pink. The lighter pink ones are more "desirable", presumably because they're prettier, though I don't believe they are superior in flavour.

Tapioca pearls, however, are pure white because they are made from refined tapioca starch. This has implications on flavour because the refining process removes all the flavour from the original cassava plant.

Note: You can find tapioca pearls that are pink and green; those simply have food colouring added and are not flavoured.

2. Shape

Tapioca pearls are made in factories, which can turn them out in perfect little spheres.

Sago pearls are turned into beads manually by rolling around little clumps of damp starch in a flat bamboo tray until those clumps turn into little balls, as shown in this video. This manual process means that the pearls have uneven shapes and sizes. This has implications on texture, as you will see in my comparison video.

3. Density

I tried to eat these pearls raw (though sadly I did not do this on camera), and real sago instantly disintegrated into powder in my mouth, but the tapioca pearls were so hard they could've broken my teeth! This explains the volume difference between equal weights of the two pearls; 50g of real sago looks like a lot more than 50g of tapioca pearls.

This also explains the difference in cooking time as shown in my video; tapioca pearls took much longer to cook since the water takes longer to hydrate the denser pearls, while real sago cooked up almost instantly.

4. Flavour and Texture

This is where words don't suffice, and you'll have to watch the video below so you can see my reaction to get the full sense of how they differ. You'll also see how to cook them.

Watch My Verdict: Tasting Real vs Fake Sago

Where to buy real sago pearls?

Now that I've convinced you that real sago pearls are worth trying ... next I have to apologize for having to tell you that, if you DO want to try them, you'll have to go to Thailand or another country that produces them.

I've looked around the internet and could not find an online source for true sago pearls. When you do a search for "sago pearls" even "real sago pearls" all that comes up are listings for tapioca pearls. Even if you see some brown ones most likely they are large tapioca pearls made for bubble tea which get their colour from food colouring and/or brown sugar.

If you do go to Thailand, don't be looking for them at the supermarket though. Because these are produced in such small volumes, you'll instead find them at places that sell locally made, artisanal products.

The future of the sago

Real sago is making a bit of a comeback in Thailand thanks to the media which has made people become more aware of their existence. I am one of those "media"; and quite frankly I'm a bit concerned that if the demand for them increases, what will this mean for the environments where the sago palms grow?

On the one hand, it would create a new source of income for people in the villages that make these pearls. In fact, this has already started to happen with the increased demand in Thailand, and it has helped raise the standard of living for some people in the poorer areas.

On the other hand, over-harvesting is always a concern. So while I wrote this post as a source of knowledge to expand our awareness of where our foods come from and how they evolve, it's equally important to be aware of the vulnerability of these sources and helping to protect them.

Real Sago Pudding Recipe

I can't leave you without a recipe now can I? Should you be so lucky as to get a hold of real sago pearls, there's no need to do anything fancy to them. This simple pudding lets all of their natural flavours shine. The important part is to serve it while still warm for the best texture - don't refrigerate!

Some tapioca recipes you might like

I don't mean to offend our old friend the tapioca pearls here! They are great in their own right! Try them in this refreshing tapioca melon dessert, or use tapioca starch to make fun bubble tea noodles!

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Real Sago Pudding

Experience the real sago pearls, made from actual sago palm, in this most iconic dish - a simple pudding that allows the true flavours of the pearls shine.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 servings

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 1.8 oz true sago pearls
• 1 ½ cups water see note 1
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• ½ pandan leaf optional, see note 2
• ½ cup young coconut meat, julienned optional

Salted Coconut Milk

• ½ cup coconut milk
• ⅛ teaspoon table salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• (If not using pandan leaf, skip to step 2). Tie the pandan leaf into a knot to shorten and help bruise the leaf and release the aroma. Add the pandan leaf into a small pot and add 2 cups (480 ml) of water; bring to a boil and let it boil for about 3 minutes to extract the aroma.
  ½ pandan leaf
• If not using pandan leaf, add 1 ½ cups (360 ml) of water to a small pot and bring to a full boil.
  1 ½ cups water
• Once the water is fully boiling, remove the pandan leaf, if using, then gradually sprinkle in the sago pearls while quickly stirring - then keep stirring constantly for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes; most of the pearls should be translucent on the outside, with the white center still visible. If it is too thick, add a little bit of water to loosen.
  1.8 oz true sago pearls
• Once cooked, turn off the heat and add sugar and young coconut meat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let it rest and cool down a bit while you make the salted coconut milk.
  3 tablespoon sugar, ½ cup young coconut meat, julienned
• To make the salted coconut milk, combine the coconut milk and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer to dissolve the salt and remove from heat. Alternatively, you can just heat it up in the microwave.
  ½ cup coconut milk, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• To serve, while still warm ladle a portion of the sago pudding into a bowl and top it with about 2 tablespoons of the salted coconut milk. How much coconut milk to add is up to your preference, so feel free to add more or less.

Video

Notes

1. If using pandan leaf, you will need to increase the water to 2 cups (480 ml)
2. In the video I did not use pandan leaves because I wanted to taste the pure flavour of the sago, but traditionally pandan leaves are infused either into the pudding or the coconut milk.

The post Real Sago vs Tapioca Pearls + Sago Pudding Recipe appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

There are no better gifts than ones that are handmade with love and care, and this recipe is just the perfect one to make for friends and family! I made these date truffles (some people call them bliss balls) a couple of years ago and gave them to all my friends for Christmas, and everyone loved them. They also last a long time, so you can make them well in advance.

These date balls are made with only dried fruits and nuts, with no added sugar, fat or flour, so if you don't want to indulge in too many Christmas cookies, tame your sweet tooth with these instead! Customize these with your choice of nuts, fruits, spices, flavourings, etc. You can make them more chocolatey by adding more cocoa powder along with a bit of extra hot water (cocoa powder dries up the balls). Enjoy!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Date Truffles (a.k.a. Bliss Balls) DIY Gift

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• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Makes about 24-26 1-inch balls

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Ingredients

• 300 g pitted dates (see note)
• ¾ cup your favourite mix nuts or seeds, roasted and chopped so the pieces are no larger than ¼-inch
• ⅓ cup your favourite mix of dried fruits, chopped into ¼-inch pieces (choose ones that are tart such as dried cherries)
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
• Other flavourings/spices of your choice (optional)
• A pinch salt
• Coating: Finely shredded coconut, finely chopped nuts, cocoa powder, or even sprinkles!

Note: I prefer medjool dates which tend to be softer and more moist, making them easier to process, but other dates would work just as well. I usually buy whole dates and remove the pits myself (it's easy to do), I just find that these ones tend to be better quality than ones already pitted. 

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Remove pits from dates, if any, then process them in a food processor just until they gather into a ball. If your food processor is small, process half at a time so as to not wear out the motor. If you find that the dates are too dry and they're not coming together into a ball, add a splash of very hot water (1 tablespoon at a time) and let it soak into the dates for a minute to soften them. (What I have done in the past when I use dryer dates is soak them in hot water first for just a couple of minutes to soften them. If you do this, the dates can become too moist and will be hard to shape, and you will have to add more cocoa powder to absorb the moisture, which is not necessarily a bad thing!)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all your nuts and dried fruit. Sift the cocoa powder and spices into the mixing bowl, add salt, and then stir everything together, making sure all the dried fruit pieces are well separated.

Add dates, and with CLEAN hands, knead everything together until there are no more dry cocoa. You can add more hot water if the mix seems too dry, or add more cocoa powder if the mix seems too wet. Once mixed, taste the mixture and at this point feel free to add more fruit, nuts, spices, salt or cocoa powder. If you want to add more cocoa powder for a more chocolatey taste, you may need to add more water as well because cocoa absorbs moisture.

Using a disher or a spoon, portion out the dates into desired size. Wet your palms with water then roll the dates into round balls. Toss the balls into your coating of choice and press the coating onto the balls slightly. You can now serve or pack them into a package!

Storage: These will keep at room temperature for a several days in an airtight container, and they are better served at room temp, but I recommend putting them in the fridge for longer term storage.

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The post Date Truffles (Bliss Balls) DIY Gift appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

There's a reason why this mango jelly recipe has over 3 million views on YouTube. This refreshing treat is as delicious as it is beautiful; not to mention easy. It's also a great party dessert as it's vegan and gluten-free. If you're want something more exciting than ice cream, this is the perfect warm weather dessert that won't melt!

This mango jelly uses agar agar powder as the setting agent, not gelatin; which is why it is vegan-friendly. Agar agar jellies, or woon in Thai, are hugely popular in Thailand. Buying colourful woon from a street cart is one of the most memorable food-related highlights of my childhood.

This mango coconut version is not common however; and I came up with it myself as I wanted to make a jelly version of the famous Thai mango sticky rice. But if you want to try a traditional agar jelly recipe, try this classic: layered coconut jelly recipe.

What is agar agar?

Agar agar is the most important ingredient in this recipe, and it's crucial that you buy the right one or the recipe will not work.

Agar agar is made from seaweed, and it has the ability to gel up liquid. It's similar to what gelatin does, but the resulting jelly has a firmer, less bouncy texture - and it does not melt at room temperature, even in the hottest Thailand temperatures! This is very useful because it means agar agar jelly can be left out at room temp with no issues.

Buying the right agar agar: it's important!

Only buy 100% PURE agar agar powder. Some brands have sugar and/or flavouring added, and it's not always easy to tell, so you must check the ingredient list. These versions are instant mixes much like Jell-O powder, so we cannot use them in this recipe.

Agar agar also comes in non-powder forms: flakes, strings, and a few others. I highly recommend using powder because it is the easiest one to deal with. Agar flakes would be my second choice; but know that they measure differently, so you have to weigh them to get the right amount. If using bigger pieces of agar agar, such as strings, weigh it out, and then blitz it in a coffee grinder before using so that it dissolves quickly.

Below are some common options available on the market:

• The one on the left, Telephone Brand, is what I use. It's a Thai brand that can be found at many Southeast Asian grocery stores. It's inexpensive, a few dollars a packet, so this is ideal if you can find it.
• The NOW Real Food agar powder is what you can find at health food stores. As you can see it is advertised as a vegetarian substitute for gelatin, so naturally the price for this is much higher than the Thai one. Not ideal, but it'll work.
• If you have access to Japanese grocery stores, look for "kanten," the Japanese term for agar agar powder. The price should be a little more than the Thai one but still reasonable.

If you've got more question about agar agar, check out my in depth Agar Agar FAQ video.

FAQ

Mango Coconut Jelly Recipe

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• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: One 8-inch square pan

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Ingredients

Mango Layer

• 250 g mango flesh (for purée), roughly cubed (from about 1 ½ - 2 mangos, scant 2 cups)
• Flesh of 1 mango, 1-cm cubes
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 2 tsp (5.2 g) agar agar powder (see note)
• ⅓ cup sugar
• Lime juice, to taste
• 15 small mint leaves, optional

Coconut Layer

• ⅔ cup water
• 1 tsp (2.6 g) agar agar powder (see note)
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅔ cup coconut milk

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

For the mango layer:

In a blender, blend the mango cubes (for the purée) and orange juice until smooth. In a small pot, add water and agar agar powder and stir to distribute the powder. Bring to a full boil, stirring frequently, making sure that all the agar agar powder has dissolved. Add sugar and mango purée and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and taste, adding more sugar and/or lime juice as needed.

Pour the mango mixture into a mould. You can use whatever mould you like; I used a square pan, but you can also make individual ones using cups, glasses, etc. Add the 1-cm mango cubes into the mango base, distributing the cubes evenly throughout, and pushing them down to make sure they are submerged. If desired, you can add mint leaves as well, pushing them into the mango base. Note: Agar agar jelly sets at room temperature, so work quickly especially if you are making small ones. 

Let the jelly set until the surface is firm enough to pour on the next layer (if you touch it gently and your fingers are not poking through, it's ready). You CAN put it in the fridge to make it go faster, but do not let this get cold! (see note)

For the coconut layer:

In a small pot, combine water and agar agar powder and stir to distribute the powder. Bring to a full boil, stirring frequently, making sure that all the agar agar powder has dissolved. Add sugar, salt, and stir until dissolved. Add coconut milk, stir to mix and remove from heat. You can use this immediately if the mango layer has set, if the mango layer has not set, keep this mixture hot, covered, over the lowest heat setting on the stove to prevent it from setting and becoming clumpy.

Once the surface of the mango layer has set, gently pour the coconut layer over the back of a spoon on to the mango base (if you pour too hard it will break or cause dents in the mango layer). Refrigerate for a few hours until cold.

Close to serving time, cut into cubes with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Important Note on Unmolding: Do not unmold or cut agar jelly until close to serving time. When agar jelly is uncontained, water will slowly seep out because it's an unstable gel. A small amount of water loss will not affect how it tastes, and if it has to sit for a couple of hours unmolded that's fine, but you want to avoid it when possible. If you want to give it away to people, I recommend making it in clear heat-proof plastic or glass cups that you're willing to part with.

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Notes

Make sure you're buying pure agar agar powder with no sugar or any other ingredients added (you'll need to check the ingredient list.) Also if measuring by volume, you'll need to use agar agar POWDER. If using flakes, use the weight in grams.

A few people have reported that their coconut layer is not sticking to the mango layer and it slides off when cut. This happens because the bottom layer has set too cold, and the top layer isn't hot enough. The layers will stick when the heat from the coconut mixture dissolves a tiny bit of the surface of the mango layer. So if the bottom layer is too cold and/or the top layer isn't hot enough, they won't stick together. See my coffee agar jelly video where I talk more about this.

More Agar Agar Jelly Recipes

Fresh mangoes not in season right now? No problem, try these jelly recipes. One for the coconut lover, and the other for the coffee lovers in your life!

More Mango Dessert Recipes

If you're here for the mangoes, definitely check out these mango dessert recipes. The mango pudding uses gelatin, so perfect if you can't find agar agar. And the mango royale is a frozen treat that is easy, yet impressive and totally indulgent.

The post Mango Coconut Jelly Cubes วุ้นมะม่วง appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Upside Down Tako = "Crystal Pudding"

Tako ตะโก้, (also called kuih tako in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore), is a coconut pudding with 2 layers. Traditionally, the top is always the same: a white, creamy, salty-sweet coconut pudding (pic below). The bottom, however, can be made with a variety of ingredients and determines the flavour of the tako. Think of it as different flavours of cake using the same frosting - they all look the same...the real flavour is a surprise!

But for this recipe I wanted to turn it upside down, revealing the side that is more colourful and shiney. Upside-down tako is a recent trend in Thailand, and during my last trip home, my cousin brought me some ... and I didn't even recognize them as tako at first! The glossy beauties immediately reminded me of gemstones, so I came up with the nickname "crystal pudding." I thought it was brilliant and became inspired to make it the "wrong" way myself!

Tako is the perfect party dessert. Here's why

Bold claim, but let me explain. These little creamy pudding cups are:

• Vegan, gluten-free, and most allergen-free
• Require no baking or any special equipment
• Easy and quick, no dessert experience required
• Endlessly adaptable - a great recipe for creative minds!
• Can be prepped ahead
• Are super tasty!

Now that you're intrigued, let's see how they're made.

Ingredients

There are 2 components to tako: the creamy coconut pudding (usually the top, but for us it is the bottom), and the glossy pudding which can be made into any flavour you can dream up. I have given you 3 options for the top layer, but feel free to come up with your own ideas as well!

Bottom Layer - The Coconut Pudding

• Rice flour
• Water
• Coconut milk, being dessert it is important to use good quality full-fat coconut milk as it will make a difference. See my post here on how to choose good coconut milk.
• Sugar
• Salt

Top Layer Option 1 - Green Pandan Young Coconut

Pandan with young coconut are a classic dessert combination in Thai cuisine. The flavour will give you the most traditional flavour profile, and it is my personal favourite of the bunch.

• Pandan leaf, fresh or frozen will work fine. If not available you can substitute a combination of coconut and vanilla extract.
• Water
• Green food colouring (optional)
• Mung bean starch (more on this below)
• Tapioca starch
• Sugar
• Young coconut meat, I use one that's canned in syrup, but if you have it fresh from a young coconut, even better.

Top Layer Option 2 - Red Water Chestnuts

Water chestnuts are another popular tako filling, but I have made them red here as inspired by another classic Thai dessert, "red rubies". If water chestnuts are not your thing, switch them out for young coconut, cooked taro cubes, or sweet corn!

• Water
• Beet, for colour, food colouring is okay too.
• Jasmine extract, coconut extract, vanilla extract, or another flavouring of your choice
• Mung bean starch
• Tapioca starch
• Sugar
• Cooked water chestnuts, canned

Top Layer Option 3 - Golden Pineapple

This is an unconventional tako flavour that I created, but it works super well because...pina colada, anyone? This also goes to show you that the sky's the limit when it comes to creating your own flavours! Anything that goes with coconut will work, (and a LOT of things go with coconut)!

• Coconut water (pineapple juice will also work for a more pronounced pineapple flavour)
• Gold dust, optional, just for some flare!
• Mung bean starch
• Tapioca starch
• Sugar
• Pineapple, canned

How to Make Crystal Tako

The instructions are incredibly simple, and can be summed up in just one word: stir. That's it, folks. That's all you need to do! Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but I strongly suggest watching the full video tutorial to get a better idea of how it comes together and the texture that you are looking for - especially if you've never made it before!

For the Coconut Layer:

1. In a small or medium saucepan, combine the rice flour with water and whisk until the flower is completely dissolved.
2. Add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
3. Stir the mixture over medium high heat, and once it starts to steam, turn it down to medium heat and cook until it's fully thickened. About 5-8 minutes.
4. Immediately spoon into cups until they are about half full. Do this while the pudding is hot, as it stiffens up once cooled; but if it does cool, simply reheat it on the stove to soften. Let cool while you make the topping.

For the Glossy Layer:

1. Blend the pandan leaf with room temp or cold water until fine, then strain through a fine sieve.
2. Combine the pandan leaf juice with the mung bean starch, tapioca starch, and sugar; then stir until the starch is dissolved.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with the rubber spatula until the mixture becomes thick and translucent; about five minutes.
4. Once fully translucent, stir in the young coconut and cook for another minute to heat it up.
5. Immediately spoon this over the coconut pudding, aiming for roughly the same amount for each layer. Do this while the pudding is hot as it stiffens up once cooled; but if it does cool, simply reheat it on the stove to soften.
6. Let cool to room temp before serving. You can also garnish them with a little toasted coconut or coconut flakes to let people know of the presence of coconut if you like.

Want to try other flavours? The process for cooking the top is the same, you simply need to switch out the liquid and the mix-ins. You may need to reduce the amount of sugar if the liquid is already sweet, so do use some judgement as you make changes. Detailed instructions for the water chestnuts and pineapple versions are in the recipe card.

What is Mung Bean Starch?

Let's talk about our main ingredient, mung bean starch, which is responsible for the "crystal" quality of our pudding.

You know those bean sprouts in noodle soups and pad thai? Those are mung bean sprouts. And mung bean starch, is extracted from those beans. Mung bean starch is used in many Asian countries, but in Thailand it is used only in desserts and for making glass noodles.

Mung bean starch is used in tako because it has a tender texture, and the magical quality of being clear when cooked (hence, "glass" noodles!). So whenever clarity and translucence are required, mung bean starch comes to the rescue.

If I were to use cornstarch or rice flour for the top layer, for example, I would get a pudding, but it would be cloudy and not nearly as pretty as the ones you see here. Not to mention the mix-ins will not be clearly visible.

Tapioca starch also cooks up clear and has a chewier texture, so I add a small amount for added elasticity, but I want the mung bean starch to be our primary starch to maintain tenderness. You can omit the tapioca starch and replace it with the same amount of mung bean starch.

Once you have mung bean and tapioca starch, try making these bubble tea noodles and these no-churn Thai tea ice cream bars!

Where to buy mung bean starch and tapioca starch?

My preferred brand of mung bean starch is Pine Brand (sponsored), a popular Thai brand who also make my favourite glass noodles! You can look for it wherever you get your Thai groceries, check out this map of Asian grocery stores to find one near you.

Korean grocery stores also carry mung bean starch as it is also used in Korean cuisine; and any store that sells a lot of Southeast Asian groceries is a good place to look as they also use it in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia as well.

Tapioca starch is much easier to find and is usually available at any Asian grocery stores, or even some health food stores. Arrowroot starch can also be used instead of tapioca starch.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT buy "mung bean flour" or "tapioca flour" (vs "starch"). These are not pure starches and will not work as a substitute.

What if I can't find mung bean starch?

If you can't find mung bean starch at all, there are a few options. First, you can use rice flour or cornstarch BUT...you will end up with a cloudy pudding that isn't as pretty. In that case, consider sticking with the traditional version with the coconut side on top. If making the traditional version though, reduce the amount of rice flour in the coconut pudding to 30 g.

Or, consider doing something entirely different. Take a look at these colourful tako that I had in Thailand!

• You can make a tapioca pudding. The blue tako in the pic above is topped with tapioca pudding coloured with butterfly pea flowers (any food dye will also work). You can then stir in any of the mix-ins I've mentioned. See my video here for basic instructions for how to make tapioca pudding (as part of my "Is Your Sago FAKE or REAL?" video).
• The black one on the top left was my favourite of this bunch. It's a black sticky rice pudding, and you can simply use my black sticky rice pudding recipe here! The orange threads on top is just a garnish of candied egg yolk threads, which you don't need.
• FYI: The pink one is similar to the red water chestnut one I shared in my recipe, and the white one is the traditional tako, with candied water chestnut garnish on top to indicate that the bottom has water chestnuts inside.

Tips for Advance Prep

There are many ways to prepare tako in advance, but there is only 1 thing to keep in mind: the mung bean starch becomes cloudy when refrigerated, but the pudding will still taste great. So if the translucent look is important to you, it's best not to chill them. The pudding will last all day at room temperature, and here are ways to get lots done ahead of time:

• Make the bottom coconut pudding layer and fill the cups up to one day ahead. Keep them covered in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving day.
• Prep all your ingredients for the top layer ahead of time. The top layer only takes a few minutes to cook, so once you have the bottom done and the ingredients for the top prepped, you can finish it really quickly in the morning.
• If you have a dinner party, finish the pudding in the morning and they will last well into the evening without refrigeration.
• If you NEED to refrigerate them, that's fine! You will lose the clarity, but they will still taste great, and some people even prefer them cold. You can also consider making the traditional version with the coconut layer on top, and you won't have to worry about chilling them.

Storage

If you have tako leftover, keep them covered in the refrigerator and they will last at least 3 days. The top will turn cloudy as mentioned above, but they will still taste great. I find they even taste a bit better the next day because the ingredients have had time to mingle - especially the water chestnuts one.

You may find that a small amount of water pools around the top after a few days. This is normal and is totally fine; it's just water seeping out of the pudding, and you can eat it or use paper towel to dab it.

They do not freeze well.

Other Flavour Ideas

I have given you a few different options to choose from, but here are some more ideas in case you want to branch out.

• Taro. I don't always like taro, but I LOVE taro in tako. It will work as a sub for the young coconut in the green version. Simply peel and dice taro, and steam it for about 10 minutes or until tender (check often as you don't want them turning into mush).
• Sweet corn. Another classic tako mix-ins. The canned stuff is fine here, and it would also work well with the green pandan base. I would even add it in addition to the young coconut for something prettier.
• Longans. Longans are a cousin to lychee, and you can find them canned at many Asian grocery stores. They are flavourful and juicy in themselves, so they'll work with a neutral base of just water, coloured with whatever your heart desires.
• Fresh mango (or other sweet fresh fruits). I have not personally tried this, but I KNOW this is going to be so delish. This doesn't even need to be cooked. Simply top the coconut pudding with some sweet, ripe mango pieces that are slightly mashed to get that creamy effect as done in this mango royale recipe. Sweeten it a little with honey as needed, and you're good to go.

Choosing Containers for Tako

Tako is traditionally served in individual banana leaf cups, but any kind of small cups such as sauce cups, mini ramekins, mini foil tart pans, or silicone cupcake liners will work. The ideal volume, for me at least, is 2 oz (60 ml) or smaller.

Do not use paper muffin liners as they will just flop open and eventually the moist pudding will soak through. You need something that can hold their shape and is waterproof.

How to Make Your Own Banana Leaf Cups

If you're feeling ambitious and want to make the traditional banana leaf cups, it's not hard. Here are the supplies what you'll need:

• Banana leaves, frozen or fresh
• A wet kitchen towel and a dry one.
• a round pattern about 3.5-4 inch in diameter. This can be a bowl, a jar lid or a cardboard cutout. Larger is okay, but not smaller.
• A small stapler
• Scissors
• A chef's knife

1. Tear the banana leaves into 4-inch wide strips along the grain of the leaves. You may need to use scissors to snip off the end if it's stuck to the rib. Each tako cup will take 2 pieces, but cut a few extras in case of tears.
2. Wipe both sides of each leaf clean with a wet towel, and dry them off again with a dry towel.
3. Stack the banana leaf strips, lining them up along the short edge. Place your round pattern on top of the stack, then use a sharp chef's knife to chop off excess around the pattern, so you will end up with a stack of round banana leaves in the end.
4. Take two round pieces and place them on top of each other, making sure the grains of the leaves are perpendicular to each other. This will make them less likely to tear. (See pic below)
5. Fold a small pleat about 1 inch long and use a small stapler to secure the pleat together. Make another pleat on the opposite side of the first pleat (pic step 3). Then make two more pleats in between the first 2 pleats (pic step 4). Your cup is done! These will last a few days in the fridge in a covered container.

Thai Crystal Coconut Pudding Recipe - Tako

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Crystal Coconut Pudding (Tako)

These traditional Thai layered coconut puddings have a creamy coconut base and a glossy "crystal" top that you can make into all kinds of flavours. They're naturally vegan, gluten free, no-bake, super easy, and of course totally tasty - perfect for the holidays! I've given you 3 flavour options, but feel free to experiment!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffin size cups

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Equipment

• Small cups such as sauce bowls, espresso cups, mini aluminum tart pans, or silicone muffin cups. You can also make it in a big casserole dish or cake pan and scoop or cut to serve. Ideal volume for 1 cup is about 2 oz (60 ml) but it can be any size you want.

Ingredients

Base Layer - Coconut Pudding

• 1.5 oz rice flour (about ⅓ cup + 2 Tbsp) (see note 1)
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups coconut milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon table salt (see note 2)

Top Layer Option 1 - Green Pandan Coconut

• 1 pandan leaf about 18 inches
• 1 ⅓ cups water
• Few drops green food coloring optional
• 3 tablespoon mung bean starch (see note 1)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (see note 1)
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¾ cup julienned young coconut meat canned in syrup or fresh

Top Layer Option 2 - Red Water Chestnuts

• 1 ¼ cups water
• A quarter of a beet or sub red food colouring
• ¼ teaspoon Jasmine extract or coconut extract optional
• 3 tablespoon mung bean starch (see note 1)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (see note 1)
• ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup cooked or canned water chestnuts small dice (see note 3)

Top Layer Option 3 - Golden Pineapple

• 1 ¼ cups coconut water no added sugar see note 4)
• ¼ teaspoon edible gold dust optional
• 3 tablespoon mung bean starch (see note 1)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (see note 1)
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pineapple rings cut into small pieces

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prepare the containers and have them all ready, lined up on a tray. You will need to fill them as soon as the pudding is done.

Bottom Layer - Salted Coconut Pudding:

• In a small pot, combine the rice flour with water and stir until completely dissolved. Add coconut milk, sugar and salt and stir to mix.
  1.5 oz rice flour (about ⅓ cup + 2 Tbsp), ½ cup water, 1 ½ cups coconut milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon table salt
• Cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or a whisk, scraping the bottom as you go. Once the mixture starts to steam, lower the heat to medium and keep stirring. You will notice the mixture gradually getting thicker - keep stirring until it doesn’t look like it’s getting any thicker for at least 15 seconds - this means the mixture has fully thickened. If you stop stirring, the mixture should be bubbling. For this amount the process should take 5-8 minutes, depending on your heat. The final consistency should look like greek yogurt (I highly recommend watching the video to see what it should look like).
• Right away, while the pudding is piping hot, spoon into your containers until about half full. Work quickly, as the pudding will stiffen as it cools, but if becomes too stiff simply heat it back up while stirring constantly over medium heat to soften it. If it’s hot and still feels too stiff, you can add a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen it up.
• Let these cool at room temp while you make the top layer.

Top Layer option 1 - Green Pandan Coconut

• Blend the pandan leaf with the water until fine. Strain into a liquid measuring cup and discard the fiber. Check to see that you have at least 1 ¼ cup of pandan juice; a little more is okay, but if you have less, add more water to make up the shortfall. If you want, add a few drops of green food coloring to intensify the colour.
  1 pandan leaf, 1 ⅓ cups water, Few drops green food coloring
• Pour the pandan juice into a small pot, then add the mung bean starch, tapioca starch, and sugar; stir until all the starch has dissolved.
  3 tablespoon mung bean starch, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, ⅓ cup sugar
• Turn the heat on medium and stir constantly with a rubber spatula. As the mixture heats up, it'll gel up bit by bit. Keep stirring constantly until the whole mixture has become thick and translucent. Once the mixture doesn’t look like it’s changing for a good 15 seconds, the pudding has fully cooked. Add the coconut meat and stir for a minute or so to allow the mixture to heat back up before turning off the heat.
  ¾ cup julienned young coconut meat
• Right away, spoon the pudding over the coconut layer, aiming for roughly the same amount for each layer. If for some reason the mixture has cooled down and become too stiff to spoon, simply heat it back up while stirring constantly over medium heat to soften it.
• Allow the pudding to cool to room temp before serving. (See storage notes in the blog post.)

Top Layer option 2 - Red Water Chestnuts

• If you have a flat grater, grate the beet directly into the water until the colour intensity is the way you like it. If you have a box grater, grate about ¼ of a medium beet and put it into the water. Stir to extract the colour and strain the liquid into a small pot, pressing out all the water.
  1 ¼ cups water, A quarter of a beet
• Stir in mung bean starch, tapioca starch, sugar, and flavouring of your choice, if using; stir until the starch is all dissolved.
  ¼ teaspoon Jasmine extract or coconut extract, 3 tablespoon mung bean starch, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• Turn the heat on medium and stir constantly with a rubber spatula. As the mixture heats up, it'll gel up bit by bit. Keep stirring constantly until the whole mixture has become thick and translucent. Once the mixture doesn’t look like it’s changing for a good 15 seconds, the pudding has fully cooked. Add the water chestnuts and stir for another minute to allow the mixture to heat back up before turning off the heat.
  1 cup cooked or canned water chestnuts
• Right away, spoon the pudding over the coconut layer, aiming for roughly the same amount for each layer. If for some reason the mixture has cooled down and become too stiff to spoon, simply heat it back up while stirring constantly over medium heat to soften it.
• Allow the pudding to cool to room temp before serving. (See storage notes in the blog post.)

Top Layer option 3 - Golden Pineapple

• In a pot, combine the coconut water and the gold dust (if using) until it looks the way you like it, adding more gold dust if desired. Then add the mung bean starch, tapioca starch, and sugar; stir until the starches have completely dissolved.
  1 ¼ cups coconut water, ¼ teaspoon edible gold dust, 3 tablespoon mung bean starch, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, ⅓ cup sugar
• Turn the heat on medium and stir constantly with a rubber spatula. As the mixture heats up, it'll gel up bit by bit. Keep stirring constantly until the whole mixture has become thick and translucent. Once the mixture doesn’t look like it’s changing for a good 15 seconds, the pudding has fully cooked. Add the pineapple pieces and stir for another minute to allow the mixture to heat back up before turning off the heat.
  1 cup canned pineapple rings
• Right away, spoon the pudding over the coconut layer, aiming for roughly the same amount for each layer. If for some reason the mixture has cooled down and become too stiff to spoon, simply heat it back up while stirring constantly over medium heat to soften it.
• Allow the pudding to cool to room temp before serving. (See storage notes in the blog post.)

Video

Notes

1. I recommend weighing the starch and flour in this recipe (use the metric toggle at the top of the ingredient list to show weight in grams), but if measuring by cup/tablespoon, fluff the starch to lighten it, then gently scoop without compacting and level it off with a straight edge. If you scoop into densely packed starch, or compact it as you scoop, you will end up with more than you need.
2. If making the pineapple flavour, reduce the salt to ½ tsp. The salt is there to balance the sweetness of the top layer, but the acidity in the pineapple will also help balance the sweetness.
3. Water chestnuts are rather plain tasting, so if you'd like to sweeten them soak them in hot simple syrup while you prep and make the bottom layer. You can also soak them a day ahead.
4. You can also use pineapple juice instead of coconut water for a more pronounced pineapple flavour. If using, you will need to reduce the sugar to just 2 Tbsp; or omit it altogether if the juice is very sweet. If unsure, you can taste the cooked mixture and add more sugar as needed.

Want more delicious vegan coconut desserts?

Thai cuisine is filled with naturally vegan desserts, and almost all of them include coconut and are gluten free. So check out all of my dessert recipes, but I've highlighted a few vegan ones here:

The post Thai Layered Coconut Pudding - Tako appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

If you love bubble tea, you are going to love this too. "Lod chong Singapore" is made from chewy tapioca noodles in refreshing iced coconut milk and coconut water flavoured with pandan leaves! Similar to cendol, this is a popular dessert in Thailand, especially in open air markets as a sweet cold treat while you peruse. It's vegan, gluten free, and easy to make; much more so than homemade bubble tea!

Why is it called Lodchong Singapore?

Lod chong is our term for cendol, the green dessert noodles popular all over Southeast Asia that are pressed and extruded rather than rolled and cut like these. For a long time I thought that this was the Singaporean version of cendol; but turns out, the reason for "Singapore" in the name is because the shop that popularized it was situated in front of a movie theatre called "Singapore Theatre." So, no relation to Singapore the country here! (*I believe they not only popularized but actually invented the dessert, though I am not 100% sure on this.)

What You'll Need

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make lod chong Singapore:

Step-By-Step: How to Make Lod Chong Singapore

Some FAQs about ingredients

Advance Prep & Storage

This part is a bit tricky because the noodles don't keep well. I've detailed how to store each component below, but here is my general "best practice": Make the syrup and coconut milk in advance. Make the dough the day-of, and don't refrigerate. Roll out and cook the noodles within a few hours of serving. Do not freeze anything.

Syrup & Coconut Milk. Make the syrup and the coconut milk well in advance to allow enough time for them to cool before using. The syrup will last indefinitely in the fridge, and the coconut milk at least a week.

The Dough. Unfortunately the dough does not keep well. In the fridge the starch will stiffen and become brittle, making it hard to work with. You can, however, make the dough up to 4 hours in advance, keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature until you're ready to roll (pun totally intended!).

The Uncooked Noodles. Once the noodles are cut, you should cook them as soon as possible. Left out they will dry and become brittle and break; and they might also stick together, especially if you have them sitting on top of each other in a big pile. But if you need to leave them for a bit, keep them covered with plastic wrap.

Cooked Noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, the clock starts ticking! It's a little tricky, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Once you drain the noodles, serve or assemble the dessert right away or they will start to clump together.
• If not serving right away, assemble the dessert with the jackfruit, syrup and coconut milk, but add ice only when ready to serve. The liquid will prevent the noodles from clumping, and even though they will slowly swell up, they will still be good for a few hours.
• Do not refrigerate the cooked noodles or the texture will harden and lose that soft chew.

Tips for Optimal Deliciousness

Once you've cooked the noodles, even if you're ready to eat, hold off for a bit. Assemble and let the noodles sit in the syrup and coconut milk "broth" for about 15 minutes. The texture will still be perfect, but the noodles will have had time to absorb some sweetness from the syrup and taste better. Again, the noodles will be good for a few hours in the broth, but they will continue to swell and become less chewy as time goes by. Do not refrigerate to maintain the best noodle texture.

When ready to eat, add lots of ice and stir really well to allow everything to completely chill and to dilute the coconut milk; the resulting liquid should be light enough to drink.

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Bubble Tea Noodles in Coconut Milk (Lod Chong Singapore / Cendol)

Chewy tapioca noodles and sweet jackfruit in chilled pandan-scented coconut milk

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 270kcal

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Equipment

• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Lod Chong Noodles:

• 4.2 oz Pine Brand tapioca starch plus extra for dusting about 1 cup
• 0.9 oz Pine Brand mung bean starch about 3 Tbsp
• ⅔ cup water
• 5 drops green food colouring

Pandan Syrup:

• 1 ¼ cup coconut water or water
• ¾ cup sugar (see note)
• 1 pandan leaf

Coconut Milk:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup coconut water
• ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• 1 pandan leaf

For serving:

• 5 pieces sweet jackfruit, fresh or canned julienned against the grain (see note)
• Lots of ice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the syrup:

• Add coconut water or water into a small pot. Tie the pandan leaf into a knot or two until it’s short enough to fit nicely into the pot and add it to the coconut water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to infuse.
• Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool completely.

Make the coconut milk:

• Combine coconut milk, coconut water, and salt in a small pot. Tie the pandan leaf into a knot or two until it’s short enough to fit nicely into the pot and add it to the coconut milk. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to infuse. Cool completely.

Make the noodles (please watch the video for technique!):

• Whisk the starches together in a large, heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Bring the water to a full boil, and once boiling, turn off the heat immediately (I do this in the microwave in a glass measuring cup). Add the food colouring and stir to mix.
• Working with the water right away while it's still hot, drizzle roughly 3 tablespoons of the hot water over the flour, then quickly toss with a spoon to distribute the hot water. The parts where the flour touches the water will clump up immediately. Repeat with more hot water, again 3 tablespoons at a time, until all of the flour starts to look clumpy. You should use MOST of the hot water, but you may not need all of it.
• Use your hand to squeeze the flour into a ball. It should be very rough but it should come together easily. If there is still dry flour, add a little more water. If it is too wet and sticks to your hand too much, you can add a little more tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Once a rough dough forms, transfer it onto a clean work surface dusted with tapioca starch. Dust the top of the dough lightly with more starch and then knead until a smooth dough forms, adding more starch if the dough sticks to your hands. If there are little lumps of flour in the dough, do not worry, this will all cook away.
• Separate dough into 2 pieces, and cover one with a tea towel while you work with the other. Re-dust the work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle about 2mm thick (1/16 inch). Don’t worry too much about the dimensions.
• Once you have the right thickness, cut down the sheet so you have long strips that are 2-3 inches wide. Then generously dust the strips and cut them into noodles, about 3-4 mm wide.
• Toss the cut noodles with a little extra tapioca starch to ensure that they do not stick together. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil, and meanwhile prepare a large bowl of very cold water. Once the water is boiling, “sprinkle” all of the noodles into the pot. Once the noodles float, keep them boiling for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
• To check doneness, put a piece of noodle into the cold water; it should be translucent all the way through and it should be nice and chewy with no starchiness left in the centre. If you find it too chewy, you can cook it a bit longer.
• Once done, scoop the noodles out with a wire skimmer and put them immediately into the cold water. Once cool, drain them immediately and place them into a bowl. Do not let them linger in the water unnecessarily or they will swell up.

If serving right away:

• Divide the noodles into a serving bowl or cup, add jackfruit, then add syrup to your liking (start with 2 tablespoon per serving), and about 4 tablespoon of the coconut milk. If possible, let it sit for 15 mins or so and the noodles will absorb some of the sweetness and will taste better overall.

  Add a lot of ice and stir well, allowing it to really chill before you eat. Eat with a big bubble tea straw or a spoon. Put out extra syrup for people to add more if desired.

If not serving right away:

• Once the noodles are cooked, you need to keep them in liquid or they will eventually stick together into a big clump. So place the noodles into a large bowl, add the jackfruit and pour all of the coconut milk over them. Add the syrup to taste, but make it a little sweeter than you like because the ice will dilute it some. Stir to mix and keep at room temp until ready to serve, ideally no longer than 2 hours. The longer they sit the more they will swell up with liquid and the texture will be less chewy.
• When ready to serve, portion the noodles out into bowls or cups and add a lot of ice and stir well, allowing it to really chill before you eat. Eat with a big bubble tea straw or a spoon. Put out extra syrup for people to add more if desired.

  For advance prep and storage: please see post above for details!

Video

Notes

1. If using water for the syrup instead of coconut water, use 1 cup of sugar.
2. Canned jackfruit has more persistent fibers, so it's best to cut against the direction of the fibers. If using fresh jackfruit, you can cut it in any direction.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Bubble Tea Noodles in Coconut Milk (Cendol) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

My Quest for Real Coconut Ice Cream

Growing up in Thailand, coconut ice cream was THE base flavour. It was our "vanilla"; our default. It tasted of nothing but pure coconutty goodness. As sweets in Thailand became modernized, milk and dairy products became "trendy." So ice cream vendors started incorporating dairy, making it taste more like Western ice cream because that was the cool thing to do.

Fast forward to my years in Canada, and I've started seeing coconut ice cream in stores over the past few years. "Dairy free" they all say. But still somehow it doesn't taste much like real coconut - and what's with the added vanilla and guar gum? I soon realized that its real purpose is not to be coconut ice cream, but to be a vegan substitute to regular vanilla ice cream. Not what I was looking for.

I realized that the only way to have the true stuff of my childhood is to make it. And turns out ... it's much simpler than I would have thought. Several years ago I shared my first coconut ice cream recipe, which is wonderfully light thanks to a generous amount of coconut water. It has a sorbet feel to it, perfect for the summer. But this time, I wanted something richer and creamier for when I'm feeling more indulgent. This is it.

Ingredients: Very few, but very important

There are only 4 basic ingredients; plus the pandan leaves which are optional but nice to have. Because of the simplicity of this recipe, it is extremely important that you use good quality ingredients; especially the coconut milk. Here are a few pointers:

• Choose coconut milk in a UHT carton, and with no more than 2 ingredients on the label. Here's my video on how to choose a good coconut milk.
• Choose coconut water that is 100% pure with no added sugar and with no flavour additives. You should try a few of the brands that are available to you, and see which is more flavourful. Here's an article on why some brands are better than others, EVEN if they all say 100% coconut water.
• Choose palm sugar that has a smooth, not-grainy texture. It's not as important as making sure you have good coconut milk, but good quality palm sugar will definitely help. Here's more on how to choose good quality palm sugar.
• Extra Credit: If you want to learn more about how coconut milk is made, and why the UHT carton is better than canned, check out this short documentary that I filmed in Thailand!

Step-By-Step:

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success!

How to eat ice cream, Thai street style

Cup VS cone? No, cup VS bun!

Though not always available, most traditional, old-style ice cream vendors give you the option to have your ice cream in a fluffy bun, similar to a hot dog bun. You can use any fluffy buns or rolls for this, though ideally from an Asian bakery where the buns tend to be fluffier and softer.

If not serving in a bun, you can also cut up some fluffy bread cubes and use them as toppings. Makes it easier to eat!

Sticky rice

My favourite part of eating ice cream Thai style is the sticky rice! It is optional, but I highly recommend it. It's easy to make but it takes a bit of time. The good news is it's the same sticky rice that we use for mango and sticky rice or durian and sticky rice, so you can get 2 desserts out of 1!

Sweet sticky rice also goes well with many ice cream flavours, even non-Asian ones! So make a bunch and try it with any other ice cream you have! Sticky rice also freezes well, so you can make a bunch; and more on how to freeze sticky rice in the FAQ below.

I've included how to make the coconut sticky rice in the recipe card below, but check out this video for 7 different ways to make sticky rice to see all your options in terms of equipment. However, for making sweet coconut sticky rice I don't recommend using one of the no-soak methods, as they tend to yield softer rice, that then might become mushy when mixed with the coconut milk.

Toppings

As with any ice cream, toppings are optional, but where you get to have some fun! I show a few toppings below, but feel free to experiment with other things. I'd say the roasted peanuts (or some sort of crunchy nuts/seeds) are a must, but the rest are all optional.

• Roasted peanuts. A must!!! To me, it's not the same without the peanuts. If you can, roast them from raw, as it does make a biiiiiig difference. I always roast mine from raw for all kinds of cooking. Simply spread them out on a sheet pan and roast in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Timing will depend on the size of the peanuts.
• Toasted mung beans. A good substitute for peanuts for those who are allergic; see how to make them in the mango and sticky rice recipe.
• Sweet corn.
• Pineapple, canned or fresh.
• Taro or sweet potato. In Thailand they usually simmer the sweet potato cubes in syrup to sweeten them, but I think simply cubed and steamed is fine for either of these.
• Attap palm seeds. Not super common but I love these. They come in cans at some SE Asian markets. Simply rinse them in water to remove the gooey syrup before using.
• Nata de coco. If you like jelly-like toppings, these are great and available at most Asian markets where they're sold in glass jars. You can use them straight out of the jar.

Pro Tip: Creamiest Ice Cream

The faster ice cream freezes, the creamier, less icy it will be. So make sure you pre-freeze the container you'll use to freeze the ice cream, and if you can, use something wide and flat to maximize surface area.

Also, note that if you decide to reduce sugar or coconut milk in the recipe, it will result in ice cream that is harder and is less creamy, because sugar and fat helps keep ice cream soft when frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

No machine? Try these no-churn ice cream recipes!

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

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Thai Coconut Ice Cream Sundae

Authentic coconut ice cream that really lets the flavour of coconut shine. Enjoy this vegan ice cream just like on the streets of Thailand by serving with sticky rice inside a fluffy bun! Be sure to plan ahead and make the ice cream base 1 day before serving, and if making sticky rice, soak it at least 3 hours in advance.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Chilling time 1 day day

Servings 1 quart

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Equipment

• Ice cream machine

Ingredients

For the Ice cream:

• 16.5 fl oz good coconut milk
• 4 fl oz coconut water
• 4.2 oz chopped palm sugar
• ⅛ rounded teaspoon table salt
• Half a pandan leaf optional

For serving (all optional, see more options in blog post)

• Freshly roasted peanuts highly recommended, see note
• Coconut sticky rice recipe follows
• Fluffy bun hot dog bun, dinner roll, or thick-sliced white sandwich bread
• Sweet corn

Sweet Sticky Rice (any leftover can be enjoyed with mangoes!)

• 1 cup Thai glutinous rice
• ⅔ cup coconut milk
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon table salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the ice cream:

• Place the coconut milk, coconut water, palm sugar, salt and pandan leaf (if using) into a pot and bring to a boil. If not using pandan leaf, you can cook just until the sugar is dissolved without having to bring it to a boil.
  16.5 fl oz good coconut milk, 4 fl oz coconut water, 4.2 oz chopped palm sugar, ⅛ rounded teaspoon table salt, Half a pandan leaf
• Allow the mixture to cool to room temp, then put it in the fridge until completely chilled, preferably overnight. Also place the container you will use to store the ice cream in the freezer, preferably something shallow and wide for faster freezing.
• Churn the ice cream in your machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream into the pre-chilled container and freeze for at least another 2 hours to firm up before serving.

For the sweet sticky rice:

• Wash the sticky rice 4-5 times until the water runs clear and place into a heatproof mixing bowl. Pour hot off-the-boil water into the rice until it is about 1-1.5 inch above the rice. Give it a stir and soak for 20 minutes - do not oversoak. Once the rice is done soaking, pour off most of the soaking water and rinse the rice under cold tap water and drain well.

  (If you prefer, you can also soak the rice in room temp water for at least 3 hours and up to overnight; no need to rinse after a cold-water soak.)
  1 cup Thai glutinous rice
• Fill a steamer pot with about 2 inches of water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Wet a clean muslin or thin tea towel that you'll use to wrap the rice to prevent the rice from sticking, and then line the steamer rack with the wet cloth (do this off the heat).
• Place the rice into the steamer rack and fold the edges of the cloth over it, and steam over the boiling water for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and no longer crunchy in the middle.
• While the rice steams, make the coconut syrup by combining the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and cover while you wait for the rice.
  ⅔ cup coconut milk, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt
• Place the cooked rice in a heatproof mixing bowl and pour the coconut syrup over; stir to mix well making sure there are no rice clumps. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes, then come back to give it a stir, folding the bottom up to the top, and let sit for another 20 minutes before serving.
• To store extra sticky rice, separate the rice into 1-portion sized clumps and freeze them. When you want to use them, take out the number of clumps you want, cover in a moist paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds or until steaming hot and soft. Allow to cool to room temp or lukewarm before putting ice cream on it!

To serve

• You can serve the ice cream in a bowl by placing a little sticky rice in the bottom and then top this with the ice cream and toppings. To serve in a bun, place the sticky rice in the bottom of the bun and top with the ice cream and toppings. Enjoy!
  Freshly roasted peanuts, Fluffy bun, Sweet corn, Coconut sticky rice

Video

Notes

It makes all the difference to buy raw peanuts and roast them yourself. Roast them in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes depending on the size, stirring them half way through. If you can, buy peanuts with skin on; it’s a lot of work to remove the skins afterwards but for reasons I can't explain they roast up tastier!

The post Street-Style Thai Coconut Ice Cream appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Not gonna lie these are a LOT of work, but the end result is so rewarding, and it can be a fun family activity if you've got kids! You can also get creative and turn them into whatever shapes you like. I remember making simple geometric shapes as a kid when I made them with my mom, and delighting in the fact that I made "unique" look choop!

Want beautiful Thai fruit desserts but don't want to spend a lot of time? Check out my coconut water fruit jelly cubes or my "viral" agar jelly fruit cake!

What You'll Need

Here are the ingredients and equipment you'll need to make look choop. Please see below for substitutions.

Step-By-Step

Equipment Notes

Skewers or toothpicks? Toothpicks are fine, but personally I find skewers easier to work with because it's just easier to maneuver with more room for your hand. I also find the fruits are less likely to slide down a skewer compared to very thin toothpicks.

But stick with the smallest skewers you can find so as to not create giant holes in the fruit. Also if the skewers are longer than 6 inches, cut them down so they are less likely to tip over.

Styrofoam or cucumber? You will need something to hold the skewers up as you paint and glaze the look choop. If you've got styrofoam lying around from delivery packaging, great; if they're thin pieces you can stack them so they're at least 1.5 inches thick for more stability. Otherwise you can use a firm vegetable like cucumber, daikon radish or zucchini, halved lengthwise and placed cut side down.

Paint brushes. If you are making fruits that have multiple colours, use clean paint brushes (that have never been used with actual paint). No need to go to an art supplies store; drug stores (in N. America) usually sell cheap paint brushes next to crayons and other kids craft supplies.

How to Steam the Mung Beans Instead of Boiling

A more traditional way to cook mung beans for look choop is to steam them, which offers the benefit of having no excess water to evaporate, thus reducing the active cooking time.

The downside is you have to soak the beans in advance, which is why I prefer boiling. You also won't have an opportunity to infuse the pandan leaves if you're using them, but that's a really minor point.

Here's how to steam the beans:

1. Wash the beans till the water is no longer yellow or foamy, then soak the beans for at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Line your steamer basket with muslin or a double layer of cheesecloth. Place the drained beans in the steamer basket and clear a hole in the middle, making a doughnut shape with the beans, to allow steam to come up and cook them more quickly and evenly. Fold the edges of the cloth over the beans and steam on high heat for 30 minutes or until the beans are very easily mushed between your fingers.

After this you would just add them to the blender along with the coconut milk, sugar and salt and proceed with the recipe as written.

FAQ About Ingredients

Other Beautiful Treats You Might Like:

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Edible Mini Fruit Sculptures

Traditional Thai desserts made from mung beans and coconut milk, shaped into fruits and glazed with agar agar jelly.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Shaping, painting and glazing 2 hours hours

Servings 50 pieces

Calories 12kcal

Equipment

• Blender
• Toothpicks or small skewers (see note)
• Paint brush (only needed if making multi-colour fruits)
• Styrofoam or hard vegetables like a cucumber halved lengthwise for holding up the skewers

Ingredients

For the Mung Bean Paste

• ½ cup dried shelled mung beans
• 2 cups water
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ cups coconut milk
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 pandan leaf optional

For the Coating

• 1 tablespoon agar agar powder
• 1 ½ cups water

For Decorating

• Food colouring
• Small leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

MAKING DOUGH:

• Rinse mung beans in cold water. If the rinsing water is yellow this is due to added food colouring; keep rinsing until the colour is gone.
• Add the beans and pandan leaf (if using) into a medium sized pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the beans are fully cooked and mushy. If the water dries up before the beans are cooked, add only a little bit more water at a time; you want as little excess water as possible when the beans are done. (Note: See post above if you want to steam rather than boil.)
• Once the beans are fully cooked, remove the pandan leaf if you used it, and if at this point there is a lot of water left, keep cooking and stirring until it looks like thick porridge.
• Add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
• Pour the bean “smoothie” into a large skillet or wok, preferably non-stick, but stainless steel will do. (Do not use a seasoned carbon steel or cast iron pan as we do not want any of the seasoning oil or smoky flavour in the paste.)
• Cook the bean mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until it looks like dough and no longer sticks to the spatula. Reduce the heat to low once the mixture starts to look like a paste. Once the dough no longer sticks to the spatula, keep stirring for another 5 minutes to further dry out the dough. This step will take at least 20 minutes for this amount.
• Transfer the bean paste into a bowl, cover and allow to cool completely.

  *From this point on everything that touches the dough needs to be very clean because we are not cooking it further.

SHAPING:

• With very clean hands, knead the dough a bit to even out the texture and keep the dough covered if you're not working with it to prevent drying out.
• Test the dough consistency by making a few shapes with it, poke the dull side of the skewer or toothpick into the non-presentation side of the "fruit", going halfway through, then stick the skewer into the foam or vegetable. If you can make smooth shapes without any cracks, and the fruits stay on the skewer without sliding down, you're good to go.

  If the fruits are sliding down, the dough is too moist and you will need to cook the dough more to dry it out (this is a pain, so err on the side of dough being too dry).

  If the fruits are cracking, the dough is too dry; sprinkle the dough with more water little by little, and knead it in until you can form smooth shapes.
• Once you're ready to go, cut the dough into pieces, about 7-8 grams each, then roll them into balls. Each ball should be no bigger than ¾ inch in diameter. Keep the balls covered with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
• Shape each ball into whatever fruit shape you are making, I recommend starting with the lightest coloured fruits first. Poke the non-presentation side of the fruit with the dull side of a toothpick or skewer, going halfway up the fruit. For some fruits, such as the magosteen and orange, the non-presentation side is the bottom; for others, like the mangoes and chilies, it'll be the "stem" side. Stick the skewer into the styrofoam or vegetable to stand it up. Repeat with the remaining dough.

  *If the fruits are cracking AFTER you've formed them, you're leaving them out too long and they are drying out. Make sure there is no draft where you're working, and you may need to do them in smaller batches and move on to the colouring step quickly to prevent the formed fruits from drying out.

COLOURING:

• Put food colouring you're going to use in small but wide bowls (dipping sauce bowls are great for this). Add water to the colour to achieve the desired colour intensity; the amount of water depends on the colour, the type, and the brand of the food colouring, so you will need to experiment. Gel-based colours will a need more water, but water-based colours do not need as much, or none at all for lighter shades like yellow. Err on the side of adding too-little water as you can always add more if the colour is too intense.
• Starting with the lightest colour fruits, "roll" the fruits in the colour (dip them sideways and spin the skewer to coat all sides), or paint them with a clean paint brush if the fruits have 2 or more colours. If you are dipping, gently dab the bottom with paper towel afterward to absorb excess colour and then put them back on the styrofoam.

  *Do not let them hang out for too long after painting, as they are still unglazed and can dry out and crack.

GLAZING:

• While the paint dries, make the agar agar solution for the coating. Add the agar agar powder and cold water to a small pot. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly until it is dissolved. Turn off the heat and check that there are no longer any specks of agar. Allow to cool for a few minutes before using.
• Before dipping, scoop off any bubbles or foam on the surface. Starting with the first fruits you coloured, dip them into the agar agar and quickly tip it upward, allowing the excess to drip down the skewer. Rest the fruit back on the styrofoam while you finish the rest.

  *If the paint is leaching into the agar solution, it needs to dry longer. This is why we start with the lightest colour; so any colour contamination in the glaze will not be as visible on darker fruits.
• Once you're done with the first layer of glaze, repeat until you have 3-5 layers. The glaze should dry within just a minute or so as agar agar sets at room temp.

  After 3 layers, taste one and see if you’re happy with the thickness of the glaze. You can always keep going as needed.

  *If the agar agar is getting too cool it will become clumpy and the coating will be uneven; simply reheat to thin it out.

FINAL TOUCHES:

• Once the final coat is done and dry, remove the skewers and use small scissors or a paring knife to remove the “tail” from the bottom. Decorate the top with some leaves if you wish, and they’re ready to eat!
• Storage: They can be left out at room temp for several hours, but if keeping beyond the day, wrap them tightly and refrigerate. Put the same colours next to each other as the colours will bleed into one another over time. These will last a few days in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Note: I find skewers a bit easier to handle than toothpicks because there's more room to grab, but use small, thin skewers that are no longer than 6 inches. 

Nutrition

Calories: 12kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Edible Mini Fruit Sculptures ลูกชุบ (look choop) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

When I think about Thai street food, these fried bananas, gluay kaeg กล้วยแขก in Thai, are among the first foods to come to mind. Firm, slightly sweet bananas are coated in a super crunchy sesame coconut batter, it's the perfect snack that stands on that delicious line between salty and sweet. Every year I go back to Thailand, and every year I make sure I get myself some fried bananas. They're THAT good.

To be clear, these are not like the tempura-style fried bananas with ice cream that you find in many American Thai restaurants - those aren't a Thai thing. This recipe is for the real deal Thai bananas you find on the streets of Thailand, and they are more of a snack than dessert. Oh and this recipe is naturally gluten free :).

While you've got the frying oil out, also try this easy Thai-style fried ice cream!

Thai Fried Bananas Recipe

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Thai Fried Bananas (gluay kaeg)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 24 pieces

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Description

Authentic street style Thai fried bananas. Chewy bananas in a gluten-free crunchy coconut sesame batter are a classic Thai snack. Use sweet plantains if you can't find Thai bananas, and enjoy them while they're fresh! 

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Ingredients

• 2 sweet plantains or 6 namwa bananas (see note)
• ⅓ cup shredded coconut, dried, fresh, or frozen (see note)
• ¾ cup rice flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ Tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• ⅓ cup of water
• oil for frying

Kitchen Tools & Ingredients I Use

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Instructions

1.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine rice flour, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, salt, baking powder and shredded coconut. Add water and stir until well combined.
2. If using plantains, peel and cut them crosswise into 3 equal sections, then slice each section horizontally into 4 pieces. If using namwa bananas, peel and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch thick pieces.
3. Add about 1½ inches of oil to a pot and heat to about 325℉ (160℃). Dip the bananas into the batter and fry for about 5 minutes, until they are a deep brown colour. Maintain the frying temperature below 350℉ (175℃). When done, let drain on paper towel or a rack. Note: Based on your first batch, you can decide if you want a thicker or thinner coating by adding more flour or water. 
4. Let bananas cool for several minutes before serving and the coating will crisp up once cooled.
5. Serve as soon as they are cool and crisp.

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Notes

• Choose plantains whose skins have turned at least 60% black so they will be sweet (the more black on the skin, the sweeter the plantain). If using namwa bananas, choose ones that are almost ripe—mostly yellow with a hint of green. In Thailand, we also fry taro and sweet potato in this batter, which make for delicious savoury snacks!
• If using dried shredded coconut, make sure it is unsweetened, and mix with 2 tablespoon (30ml) of hot water for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate before using.

The post Thai Fried Bananas (gluay kaeg) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

It's also naturally gluten-free and vegan, so anyone can enjoy it.

If you are a fan of sticky rice, also check out my popular classic mango sticky rice recipe or try a fancier version of this black sticky rice recipe with this black sticky rice sundae with caramelized pineapple!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

The Pudding

• Thai black glutinous rice, make sure it is a product of Thailand as there are many kinds of black rice which are not all the same.
• Thai white glutinous rice, also labeled as "Thai sweet rice" and this is the same rice we use to make sticky rice.
• Pandan leaf, optional. You can find them fresh or frozen at the Asian market.
• Taro root, cut in 1 cm cube. If you don't like taro roots, you can substitute with corn kernels or just omit it.
• Young coconut meat, cut into short strips, optional. You can buy this in cans at Asian stores that sell a lot of Southeast Asian products.
• Finely chopped palm sugar. You can substitute with the same amount of light brown sugar or granulated sugar
• Salt
• Sweet corn kernels, optional

Coconut Sauce

• Coconut milk, see my post for how to choose good coconut milk
• Rice flour, or corn starch.
• Salt

How to Make Black Sticky Rice Pudding

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Soak both types of rice together in room temperature water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. If using taro, put the cubed taro in a small pot of cold water and ¼ teaspoon of salt, bring it to a boil and let it cook for 5-7 minutes until it fully cooks and is fork tender. Drain and set aside. You can cook these in advance for up to a few days.
3. Drain off the soaking water and add the rice to a small pot.
4. Add 2 cups of fresh water to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is fully done, stirring constantly after the mixture has become thick, after about 15 minutes. If you don't stir the rice will stick to the bottom and scorch.
5. After 25-30 minutes, check doneness by tasting, it should still be chewy but no crunchy in the center.
6. Add the palm sugar and salt and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the taro, young coconut meat, corn kernels, or any other add-ins you want.

For the Coconut Sauce

1. Dissolve the rice flour in a little bit of water and stir until there are no more clumps. Add this slurry to the ½ cup of coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a boil in a small pot, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. The mixture should be thickened, and will continue to thicken after cooling.
2. To serve, spoon the rice into a little bowl or cocktail glass, spoon the coconut sauce over the rice and garnish with some sweet corn kernels, if desired. Some people like to stir the sauce into the pudding before eating, others like to keep it a little separate, so do whatever you like!

Black Sticky Rice Pudding ข้าวเหนียวดำ (kao niew dum)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 4-6

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Ingredients

The Pudding

• ½ cup black glutinous rice
• 2 Tbsp white glutinous rice
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 pandan leaf, optional
• ⅓ cup taro root, cut in 1 cm cube *
• ¼ cup young coconut meat, cut into short strips, optional
• ½ cup finely chopped palm sugar **
• heaping ¼ tsp salt
• Sweet corn kernels for garnish, optional

Coconut Sauce

• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp rice flour, or ½ tsp corn starch.
• ¼ tsp salt

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Soak both types of rice together in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Drain off the soaking water and add the rice to a small pot. Add 2 cups of fresh cold water to the rice and bring to a boil. Let cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is fully done. Check doneness by tasting, it should still be chewy but no crunchy in the center.  Be careful: After about 15 minutes, you need to stir it almost constantly. The rice is thick enough at this point to stick to the bottom and burn without enough stirring.

While the rice is cooking, cook the taro. Put the cut taro in a small pot of cold water and ¼ teaspoon of salt, bring it to a boil and let it cook for 5-7 minutes until it fully cooks and is fork tender. Drain and set aside.

After the rice is done. Add the palm sugar and salt and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the taro and the young coconut meat.

For the sauce: Dissolve the rice flour in a little bit of water, and stir until there are no more clumps. Add this slurry to the ½ cup of coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a boil in a small pot, stirring constantly. It should thicken after it has come to a boil.

To serve, spoon the rice into a cute glass bowl or cocktail glass, spoon the coconut sauce over the rice and garnish with some sweet corn kernels. Some people like to stir the sauce into the pudding before eating, others like to keep it a little separate, so do whatever you like!

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Notes

* If you don't like taro roots, you can substitute with corn kernels or just omit it.
** You can substitute with regular granulated sugar, however, I have not tested the amount needed, so start out with ¼ cup and taste and adjust from there.

The post Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding (kao niew dum) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Dough

• Glutinous rice flour
• Cooked and mashed taro root, kabocha squash or other colourful juices such as pandan juice or beet juice*
• Water, as needed **

Sweet Coconut Milk

• Coconut milk
• Water
• Chopped palm sugar
• Salt
• Pandan leaf, optional

Recipe Notes:

* If you want multiple colours in one batch, you can make half this recipe per colour. For example, if you want a three-coloured Bua Loy like I made in this video, you can do ½ cup glutinous rice flour for each colour, and ¼ cup of the flavouring vegetable or juice.

** If you are using a juice to flavour the dough, you don't need to add any more water--the juice would serve as both the flavour and the water in the dough. Squashes can vary greatly in their water content, so the amount of water you need will vary accordingly.

How to Make Rice Balls in Coconut Milk บัวลอย (bua loy)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

For the dough:

1. Mix the glutinous rice flour and mashed taro or squash using your fingers until well mixed.
2. Add water, a little at a time, and knead until a dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky or tacky. If it becomes sticky, just add a little more flour and knead until it no longer sticks to your fingers.
3. Turn the dough onto a cutting board and pat it down into a rectangle a little less than 1 cm thick. Cut the dough into 1 cm-thick strips and separate the strips so they don't fuse back together.
4. Take each strip and cut them into 1 cm-long pieces so that all your pieces are now roughly 1 cm cubes.
5. Roll each piece either between the palms of your hands or the tips of your fingers so you have little balls. Now is the time to get your kids and friends involved!
6. When all the balls are rolled, keep them wrapped tightly in plastic wrap if you are not ready to cook them immediately so they don't dry out.
7. Bring a pot of water to a full boil, and while waiting for the water to boil, make the sweet coconut milk.

For the sweet coconut milk:

1. Put the coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, ½ cup of chopped palm sugar and salt into a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Taste and add more sugar as needed.
3. Turn off the heat and remove the pandan leaf.

To cook the Bua Loy:

1. Have a large bowl of cold water ready beside the pot of boiling water.
2. Drop the Bua Loy into the boiling water in batches without crowding the pot. Within 1 minute they should float, and as soon as they float, fish them out using a slotted spoon and put them directly in the bowl of cold water (they will sink in cold water).
3. Repeat until you are finished with all the dough.

To assemble:

1. Drain the Bua Loy well and add them to the coconut milk.
2. Heat the coconut-Bua Loy mixture just until it comes back to a simmer so that the Bua Loy can absorb the flavour of the coconut milk, and turn the heat off immediately.
3. Serve warm or room temperature.

Tips for advanced preparation:

1. You can make the dough (uncooked) one day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, well-wrapped in plastic wrap.
2. You can also make the coconut milk the day before. However, it is best to serve them the day they are cooked as the rice balls will continue to absorb liquid and become mushy over time.
3. Reheating leftovers after 1 day of refrigeration is doable but the texture won't be as chewy as when they are fresh. I don't recommend keeping leftovers any longer than 1 day.

Rice Balls in Coconut Milk บัวลอย (bua loy)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 4-6

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Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup (100 g.) Glutinous rice flour
• ½ cup cooked and mashed taro root, kabocha squash or other colourful juices such as pandan juice or beet juice*
• ¼ - ½ cup water, as needed **

Sweet Coconut Milk

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup chopped palm sugar
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ pandan leaf, optional

Recipe Notes:

* If you want multiple colours in one batch, you can make half this recipe per colour. For example, if you want a three-coloured Bua Loy like I made in this video, you can do ½ cup glutinous rice flour for each colour, and ¼ cup of the flavouring vegetable or juice.

** If you are using a juice to flavour the dough, you don't need to add any more water--the juice would serve as both the flavour and the water in the dough. Squashes can vary greatly in their water content, so the amount of water you need will vary accordingly.

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

For the dough: Mix the glutinous rice flour and mashed taro or squash using your fingers until well mixed. Add water, a little at a time, and knead until a dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky or tacky. If it becomes sticky, just add a little more flour and knead until it no longer sticks to your fingers.

Turn the dough onto a cutting board and pat it down into a rectangle a little less than 1 cm thick. Cut the dough into 1 cm-thick strips and separate the strips so they don't fuse back together. Take each strip and cut them into 1 cm-long pieces so that all your pieces are now roughly 1 cm cubes. Roll each piece either between the palms of your hands or the tips of your fingers so you have little balls. Now is the time to get your kids and friends involved!

When all the balls are rolled, keep them wrapped tightly in plastic wrap if you are not ready to cook them immediately so they don't dry out. Bring a pot of water to a full boil, and while waiting for the water to boil, make the sweet coconut milk.

For the sweet coconut milk: Put the coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, ½ cup of chopped palm sugar and salt into a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Taste and add more sugar as needed. Turn off the heat and remove the pandan leaf.

To cook the Bua Loy: Have a large bowl of cold water ready beside the pot of boiling water. Drop the Bua Loy into the boiling water in batches without crowding the pot. Within 1 minute they should float, and as soon as they float, fish them out using a slotted spoon and put them directly in the bowl of cold water (they will sink in cold water). Repeat until you are finished with all the dough.

To assemble: Drain the Bua Loy well and add them to the coconut milk. Heat the coconut-Bua Loy mixture just until it comes back to a simmer so that the Bua Loy can absorb the flavour of the coconut milk, and turn the heat off immediately.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Tips for advanced preparation: You can make the dough (uncooked) one day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, well-wrapped in plastic wrap. You can also make the coconut milk the day before. However, it is best to serve them the day they are cooked as the rice balls will continue to absorb liquid and become mushy over time. Reheating leftovers after 1 day of refrigeration is doable but the texture won't be as chewy as when they are fresh. I don't recommend keeping leftovers any longer than 1 day.

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The post Rice Balls in Coconut Milk บัวลอย (bua loy) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

When you slice this masterpiece, you get a wedge of tender, creamy squash filled with a rich custard. It is as beautiful as it is delicious. In some ways, it's kind of like a deconstructed pumpkin pie without the crust!

It can be a bit tricky to make, so be sure to watch the video tutorial if it's your first time. Not to mention in this video I made the recipe in a bunny costume in the spirit of Halloween, so you should watch it just for that 🙂

Video: How to Make Custard in a Pumpkin

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Kabocha squash - size does matter here, you don't want to go with anything too big or it would take a long time to cook. If anything I would err on the side of smaller squashes. Choose ripe squashes that has a patch of orange on the skin and feels heavy for its size.
• Coconut milk - Good coconut milk is important in Thai desserts, see this post on how to choose good coconut milk.
• Palm sugar - This is the key flavour in a Thai custard so don't substitute! Choose Thai palm sugar for the correct flavour. Read more about palm sugar here.
• Rice flour - Rice flour is traditional but substituting cornstarch or even all purpose flour here would be okay.
• Salt
• Eggs + egg yolks
• Pandan leaf - Another key flavour in Thai custard. If you can't find fresh leaves, look for frozen, which is also sometimes called "screwpine leaves". Pandan extract is not ideal as it tends to taste quite artificial. If you decide to use it, use sparingly as too much of it is unpleasant. If needed, you can omit it and add a teaspoon of good vanilla.

How to Make Custard in a Pumpkin ฟักทองสังขยา (faktong sangkaya)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Cut out the lid of the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds. Rinse the pumpkin and let dry, upside down, on a towel.
2. In a pot, add palm sugar, most of the coconut milk (reserve about 2 Tbsp) and pandan leaf. Cook over medium low heat just until the sugar is all dissolved. Set aside.
3. Add the reserved coconut milk to the rice flour and stir to dissolve.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add all the eggs, the dissolved rice flour, and salt; whisk until well combined. Slowly whisk in the palm sugar mixture. Strain the custard into a spouted container such as a large measuring cup.
5. Set the pumpkin into a bowl just large enough to hold it. Alternatively, set the pumpkin into a larger bowl and support the sides with scrunched up aluminum foil.
6. Pour the custard into the pumpkin, just until it touches the pumpkin flesh on the top.
7. Steam over medium heat for 50 minutes to an hour. To test for doneness, insert a wooden skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean, it is done. You can also use an instant read thermometer and go for a minimum temp of 175°F. Timing is just an estimate, as the size and thickness of your pumpkin will determine how much time is needed. It may longer if your pumpkin is large.
8. Let cool completely before cutting. To serve, cut the pumpkin into wedges.

Custard in a Pumpkin ฟักทองสังขยา (faktong sangkaya)

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• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 6-8

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Ingredients

• 1 kabocha squash
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 300 grams chopped palm sugar
• 1 Tbsp rice flour
• ½ tsp + ⅛ tsp salt
• 6 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 pandan leaf

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Cut out the lid of the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds. Rinse the pumpkin and let dry, upside down, on a towel.

In a pot, add palm sugar, most of the coconut milk (reserve about 2 Tbsp) and pandan leaf. Cook over medium low heat just until the sugar is all dissolved. Set aside.

Add the reserved coconut milk to the rice flour and stir to dissolve.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the eggs, the dissolved rice flour, and salt; whisk until well combined. Slowly whisk in the palm sugar mixture. Strain the custard into a spouted container such as a large measuring cup.

Set the pumpkin into a bowl just large enough to hold it. Alternatively, set the pumpkin into a larger bowl and support the sides with scrunched up aluminum foil. Pour the custard into the pumpkin, just until it touches the pumpkin flesh on the top.

Steam over medium heat for 50 minutes to an hour. To test for doneness, insert a wooden skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean, it is done! Let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, cut the pumpkin into wedges.

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The post Custard in a Pumpkin ฟักทองสังขยา (faktong sangkaya) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Coconut milk
• Coconut water (from a young coconut or pre-packaged)
• Chopped palm sugar
• White granulated sugar
• Salt
• Vodka (optional, see note)

Optional Add-Ins

• Young coconut meat
• Jackfruit, canned

Optional Toppings

• Roasted peanuts
• Sweet sticky rice
• Toasted mung beans (@ 10:06)
• Evaporated milk

The vodka helps prevents the ice cream from freezing too hard. Because this is a light ice cream, it can freeze harder than fattier ice creams. If not using, you can also just let the ice cream sit on the counter or in the fridge to soften before serving.

How to Make Young Coconut Ice Cream ไอติมกะทิ

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Combine coconut milk, palm sugar, white sugar, and salt in a pot and cook over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Stir in coconut water and vodka, if using. Let chill in the fridge completely and churn according to your ice cream machine's instructions.
3. Add the young coconut meat and jackfruit, or any other add-ins, during the last 1-2 minutes of churning.

Coconut Ice Cream ไอติมกะทิ (itim gati)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Makes almost 1 quart

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 ½ cup coconut water (from a young coconut or pre-packaged)
• 100 g. chopped palm sugar
• Scant ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp vodka (optional, see note)

Optional Add-Ins

• ¼ cup chopped young coconut meat
• ¼ cup chopped jackfruit, canned

Optional Toppings

• Roasted peanuts
• Sweet sticky rice
• Toasted mung beans (@ 10:06)
• Evaporated milk

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Combine coconut milk, palm sugar, white sugar, and salt in a pot and cook over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir in coconut water and vodka, if using. Let chill in the fridge completely and churn according to your ice cream machine's instructions. Add the young coconut meat and jackfruit, or any other add-ins, during the last 1-2 minutes of churning.

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Notes

The vodka helps prevents the ice cream from freezing too hard. Because this is a light ice cream, it can freeze harder than fattier ice creams. If not using, you can also just let the ice cream sit on the counter or in the fridge to soften before serving.

The post Young Coconut Ice Cream ไอติมกะทิ appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream

•  Whipping cream
• Thai tea leaves
• Salt
• Sweetened condensed milk (150 ml)
• Irish cream liqueur such as Bailey's (optional, see note)

Optional Topping

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Evaporated milk

The Baileys is added for flavour but also the alcohol to keep the ice cream softer and more scoopable. You do not have to add it at all, the ice cream will just freeze a little harder. You can also add a different liqueur with flavours that you think will go well with the Thai tea.

How to Make Thai Tea Ice Cream (No Machine Method) ไอติมชาเย็น

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Heat whipping cream in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream is steaming.
2. Add tea leaves and a small pinch of salt, and stir just until the cream boils.
3. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes (don't leave it sitting until it cools down or it'll be really hard to strain!).
4. Strain the cream using a fine mesh strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup*, pressing out as much liquid as you can—you should have about 1 ¼ cup of cream, if you have too little, add more fresh cream until you have 1 ¼ cup; if you have a little more, don't worry about it.
5. Once the cream is cool enough to go into the fridge, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until completely cold; I like to do this step 1 day in advance.
   *Note: If you don’t have a 2-cup measure, you can strain it into a 1-cup measure and another ¼ cup measure. Just make sure you don’t let the first cup overflow!
6. While the cream is cooling, make the topping by stirring the evaporated milk and condensed milk together. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Once the cream is chilled completely, whip the cream to soft-peak stage using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer. (When the beaters start leaving a trail that doesn’t immediately disappear, you’re at soft peaks.)
8. Add condensed milk and the Irish cream liqueur and continue whipping until stiff peaks (when you lift your whisk, the peak that forms maintains its shape).
9. Transfer the ice cream into a metal container and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid. Alternatively, put the ice cream in between your favourite cookies to make an ice cream sandwich!

Thai Tea Ice Cream (No Machine Method) ไอติมชาเย็น

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 1 quart

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Ingredients

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream

•  1 ½ cup whipping cream
• ¼ cup Thai tea leaves
• A pinch of salt
• ½ can sweetened condensed milk (150 ml)
• 1.5 Tbsp Irish cream liqueur such as Bailey's (optional, see note)

Optional Topping

• 3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 3 Tbsp evaporated milk

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Heat whipping cream in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream is steaming.

Add tea leaves and a small pinch of salt, and stir just until the cream boils.

Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes (don't leave it sitting until it cools down or it'll be really hard to strain!).

Strain the cream using a fine mesh strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup*, pressing out as much liquid as you can—you should have about 1 ¼ cup of cream, if you have too little, add more fresh cream until you have 1 ¼ cup; if you have a little more, don't worry about it.

Once the cream is cool enough to go into the fridge, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until completely cold; I like to do this step 1 day in advance.

*Note: If you don’t have a 2-cup measure, you can strain it into a 1-cup measure and another ¼ cup measure. Just make sure you don’t let the first cup overflow!

While the cream is cooling, make the topping by stirring the evaporated milk and condensed milk together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Once the cream is chilled completely, whip the cream to soft-peak stage using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer. (When the beaters start leaving a trail that doesn’t immediately disappear, you’re at soft peaks.) Add condensed milk and the Irish cream liqueur and continue whipping until stiff peaks (when you lift your whisk, the peak that forms maintains its shape).

Transfer the ice cream into a metal container and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid. Alternatively, put the ice cream in between your favourite cookies to make an ice cream sandwich!

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---

Notes

The Baileys is added for flavour but also the alcohol to keep the ice cream softer and more scoopable. You do not have to add it at all, the ice cream will just freeze a little harder. You can also add a different liqueur with flavours that you think will go well with the Thai tea.

The post Thai Tea Ice Cream (No Machine Method) ไอติมชาเย็น appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

In Thailand we have a traditional snack called kra ya saat, and it's very much like a sticky granola bar, but made of puffed rice instead of oats. (Or come to think of it, maybe it's more like a Thai version of Rice Krispie squares??). The puffed rice bars are studded with coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts, and held together by a syrup made from palm sugar and coconut milk.

In my house, we LOVE granola and we make it regularly using this amazing granola recipe that I've shared before. But then I thought, hmm, wouldn't it be great if the nutty flavours of kra ya saat were made into crispy granola? I had to try it, and I was blown away by how well it worked and how GOOD it turned out!

I was also shocked by how much it actually tastes like kra ya saat. But honestly I like the granola more because my problem with kra ya saat is that it is rather sticky and not crunchy; but this way I get the flavours of kra ya saat, but with the crispiness of granola. The best of both worlds!

More Breakfast Recipes

• My Best Classic Granola Recipe - This is the original favourite that I've been making for years.
• Best Fluffy Pancakes Recipe - Since we're on the topic of breakfast, this one you NEED to try; been making them since 2007.
• Crispy & Fluffy Waffle Recipe - Another staple breakfast recipe in my household, and also been making these for yearssss.
• Thai Waffles Recipe - Yes! In Thailand we have our version of waffles too! Flavoured with coconut milk and palm sugar it is considered snack in Thailand, but you can totally have it for breakfast!

Watch the Full Video Tutorial!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Coconut flakes or ½ cup dried shredded coconut
• Sesame seeds (see note)
• Palm sugar (½ cup packed)
• Virgin coconut oil (unrefined)
• Coconut milk
• Salt
• Rolled oats or quick oats
• Dried fruits, nuts, seeds of your choice (but to stick to the "kra ya saat" theme you want to have roasted peanuts in the mix)

Note: I use half black and half white sesame seeds. While you can do only one type if you'd like, I find the white ones disappear into the granola and you can't really see them in the finished product, and doing all black creates too many "black dots" in the granola which isn't as pretty. Presentation is more of a concern for me cuz I have to take a nice photo for every recipe! You, of course, can do whatever you like 🙂

How to Make "Thai" Granola with Coconut & Sesame

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C). Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or silicone liner.
2. In a dry saute pan, add sesame seeds and toast over medium high heat until the white ones are aromatic and golden brown. If using black ones, they should start to pop, smoke, and become aromatic. Remove and let cool.
3. In the same pan, reduce the heat to low, add the coconut and stir quickly until it is a deep brown colour (not light brown, you want it darker for a more toasty flavour). This can happen very quickly especially if you're using finely shredded coconut, so be sure to stir very quickly and have a plate ready to remove from the pan. Set aside.
4. Have the oats ready in a large mixing bowl.
5. For the syrup: in a small pot, stir together palm  sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and keep cooking until all the sugar is all dissolved, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn off the heat then stir in the sesame seeds, and if you're using finely shredded coconut or any other small seeds, you'll want to add that into the syrup as well. If using large flakes of coconut you can add it in at the end with the dried fruit.
7. Drizzle the syrup over the oats and toss to thoroughly and evenly coat.
8. Spread evenly on the baking sheet, leaving a bit of an empty space in the centre for more even baking (see video).  Bake for 30-35 minutes total, taking it out after about 15 minutes to stir.
9. When done, the oats should have darkened into a deep golden brown colour and will be completely crispy once cool. They will not be crispy when hot, so to check for crispiness, take a little bit of the mixture and blow on it to cool it down quickly and see. If not yet crispy, keep baking in 5 minute increments.
10. Leave to cool on the baking sheet, then transfer into a large mixing bowl, breaking large pieces up gently with a wooden spoon.
11. Stir in coconut flakes and all of your dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
12. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and it should last at least 2 months. Note: If using longans as I did, they will dry out after about a month because the oats will absorb their moisture. So if you make a large batch that you plan on keeping for a while, maybe add the longans in when you're eating.

"Thai" Granola with Coconut & Sesame

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut flakes or ½ cup dried shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (see note)
• 100g palm sugar (½ cup packed)
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil (unrefined)
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• ¼  teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats or quick oats
• 2 cups total of dried fruits, nuts, seeds of your choice (but to stick to the "kra ya saat" theme you want to have roasted peanuts in the mix)

Note: I use half black and half white sesame seeds. While you can do only one type if you'd like, I find the white ones disappear into the granola and you can't really see them in the finished product, and doing all black creates too many "black dots" in the granola which isn't as pretty. Presentation is more of a concern for me cuz I have to take a nice photo for every recipe! You, of course, can do whatever you like 🙂

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C). Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or silicone liner.
2. In a dry saute pan, add sesame seeds and toast over medium high heat until the white ones are aromatic and golden brown. If using black ones, they should start to pop, smoke, and become aromatic. Remove and let cool.
3. In the same pan, reduce the heat to low, add the coconut and stir quickly until it is a deep brown colour (not light brown, you want it darker for a more toasty flavour). This can happen very quickly especially if you're using finely shredded coconut, so be sure to stir very quickly and have a plate ready to remove from the pan. Set aside.
4. Have the oats ready in a large mixing bowl.
5. For the syrup: in a small pot, stir together palm  sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and keep cooking until all the sugar is all dissolved, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn off the heat then stir in the sesame seeds, and if you're using finely shredded coconut or any other small seeds, you'll want to add that into the syrup as well. If using large flakes of coconut you can add it in at the end with the dried fruit.
7. Drizzle the syrup over the oats and toss to thoroughly and evenly coat.
8. Spread evenly on the baking sheet, leaving a bit of an empty space in the centre for more even baking (see video).  Bake for 30-35 minutes total, taking it out after about 15 minutes to stir. When done, the oats should have darkened into a deep golden brown colour and will be completely crispy once cool. They will not be crispy when hot, so to check for crispiness, take a little bit of the mixture and blow on it to cool it down quickly and see. If not yet crispy, keep baking in 5 minute increments.
9. Leave to cool on the baking sheet, then transfer into a large mixing bowl, breaking large pieces up gently with a wooden spoon.
10. Stir in coconut flakes and all of your dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
11. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and it should last at least 2 months. Note: If using longans as I did, they will dry out after about a month because the oats will absorb their moisture. So if you make a large batch that you plan on keeping for a while, maybe add the longans in when you're eating.

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The post Coconut Sesame Granola appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Pa tong go is the Thai version of Chinese doughnuts which you may know as "you tiau" or "yao tiew". Personally, I like the Thai version better, but yes, I'm biased! Most commonly you can find pa tong ko sold by street carts in the morning. Sometimes the vendor also sells fresh soy milk, the perfect accompaniment, and if not, there's usually a soy milk cart nearby.

My favourite way to eat them is to simply dip them in sweetened condensed milk, but I also love dipping them in sangkaya, a pandan coconut custard. If you don't like things sweet in the morning, you can have them with a hot glass of fresh soy milk.

Key Ingredient: Baking Ammonia

The most important ingredient in this recipe is the leavening agent you may not have heard of before: baking ammonia or baker's ammonia. Technically this is ammonium carbonate, and it works in a similar way as baking soda and baking powder, but is superior in a couple of ways.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BUYING BAKING AMMONIA: After a couple of people reporting intense ammonia smell from their product AND very quick browning (tell tale sign of a too-basic dough) I finally found out that there is a difference between baker's ammonia sold in different countries, and some countries sell products that are basically double strength of what I use.

What I use is LorAnn's Ammonium Carbonate (Baker's Ammonia). If you are using a different brand, there may be a possibility that you are using the double strength stuff. If the provided amount results a too-strong ammonia aroma, use only HALF the amount of your baker's ammonia, and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Why I Chose Baking Ammonia

Look, I am just as annoyed as you are when I see a recipe calling for weird ingredients. And I REALLY do not like it when it's my own recipes. But this means that when I do call for one, you know there's a good reason for it.

In this recipe, the difference baking ammonia makes is absolutely worth the effort of looking for it. I got mine from a local cookware store that sells a lot of specialty baking ingredients, but it's also available online on Amazon (linked through my Kit here).

Here are reasons why baking ammonia is superior in this recipe:

1. It does not leave any aftertaste whatsoever. This is the most important reason. Baking powder and baking soda actually have a flavour, and it's not pleasant. But when you make cakes or cookies, there are a lot of other flavours going on, and the amount of leavening used is quite small, so we don't really notice it. Pa tong go dough, however, is so simple and plain, and it needs quite a lot of leavening agent to get the puffiness we need, so if you used baking powder or baking soda, you will actually be able to taste the alkaline flavour that they leave behind. Baking ammonia may start out with a really strong odour, but once it's all cooked off, it leaves no smell or taste, leaving you with just the clean flavour of the delicious fried dough.
2. It yields a crispier product. Baking ammonia is more commonly used than you may think. If you look at the ingredient list of store-bought crackers, you'll likely see it listed. This is because baking ammonia produces a crispness in the product that baking powder or soda can't. I don't actually know the mechanism behind this, so if you know do share!
3. It does not react until you cook it. Unlike baking powder/soda which start working as soon as you mix it with liquid, baking ammonia is activated by heat so ALL of it's leavening power will be released during cooking, and none is lost while the dough is being mixed or resting. This means that you can make the dough in advance and let it sit until you need it. This is how pa tong go vendors in Thailand can just make the dough once and sell it over the course of the day with no issues.
4. It's the traditional way pa tong go is made in Thailand. For those of you who are looking to recreate the wonderful pa tong go experience you had in Thailand, well this is what they use!

*NOTE: Baking ammonia has a VERY strong odour, so DO NOT SMELL IT DIRECTLY, and when mixing the dough try not to put your nose right on top of it. All the smell will go away once the dough is properly cooked through. If you can smell ammonia in the finished product it means the dough is undercooked.

Prepping Dough in Advance

The dough needs to rest for 2.5-3 hours before you can fry it (although 2 hours is probably okay too, but I've never tried), but it also can rest there for up to 8 hours until you're ready to fry it. If you want to prepare it in advance longer than that, put the dough in the fridge, but be sure to pull it out 2 hours before using so the dough has time to warm up to room temperature, and it's harder to work with a cold dough.

Reheating Pa Tong Go

I really, REALLY think you should eat pa tong go as fresh as possible. Once it's cool enough to eat but still a bit warm is perfect. It's one of those things that just isn't nearly as good once it's been sitting out for a few hours. So I do not recommend making more than you can eat in one sitting.

But if you REALLY have to reheat them, there is a way to do it that will give a decent result. Not the same, but decent. If you have a toaster oven, stick them in there using the toast function for a few minutes only, once you start to see the oil on the surface start to sizzle it's ready to go. For a regular oven, I use the broiler on low setting and broil each side for just 1-2 minutes or until the oil starts sizzling on the surface. Do not toast them too long or they will dry out and become too crispy.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Vegetable oil
• LorAnn baker’s ammonia (see *very* important note below)
• Fine table salt
• Sugar
• Water
• For serving: Sweetened condensed milk, coconut pandan custard, or hot fresh soy milk.

How to Make Crisp and Airy Chinese Doughnuts (Pa Tong Ko)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Sift flour and cornstarch together into a mixing bowl.
2. Put water into a small bowl then add salt and sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Add baking ammonia and stir until dissolved (don't put your nose directly over the water so you don't get an accidental whiff of ammonia!)
4. Stir the oil into the water and pour everything into the flour.
5. Mix with your hand just until combined and no dry flour is left, it should only take 1-2 minutes. DON'T KNEAD. The dough should be shaggy and sticky, and does not look right (but it is!). Cover and rest for 2.5-3 hours.
6. When ready to fry, preheat at least 1.5 inches of frying oil in a wide pot or wok to 375F.  Ideally, keep a deep-fry thermometer in the oil while you fry. If you don’t have a thermometer that can stay in the pot, check your oil temp often while you fry.
7. While the oil is heating, prepare a large cutting board near the oil; this is your dough-shaping station.
8. Dust the board thoroughly with flour, then turn the dough onto the board.
9. Dust the top of the dough with more flour, then use your hands to pat the dough down into a ¼ inch thick rectangle, 7-8 inches wide, keeping the sides as straight as possible to minimize waste. Do not knead the dough and try to work it as little as possible.
10. Cut the rectangle into 3 strips (each should be about 2 ¼ - 3 inches wide; do NOT make these bigger or the ammonia may  not evaporate completely). Work with 1 strip at a time and keep the other 2 covered in a barely-moist kitchen towel or plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
11. Trim the ends of the strip to square them off, then cut the strip into 1-inch wide pieces (again, do not make them bigger).
12. Dip a wooden skewer or a thin chopstick into a little cup of water and paint a 1-inch vertical strip of water into the center of every OTHER piece; this will be the glue.
13. Put the dry piece on top of the wet piece and press gently in the center to stick them together. Once you're done forming, if the oil still has a bit of time to go, cover the pieces to prevent drying.
14. Right before you drop the pa tong go into the oil, stretch the piece out with your hands until it is about double in length and drop it into the oil. TIP: To help your oil last longer, brush off excess flour from the dough with a pastry brush before dropping them into the oil.
15. Fry in oil for AT LEAST 5 minutes, flipping often, until well browned on both sides and bubbling has subsided.
16. Keep an eye on oil temp and try to maintain it around 375F and don’t let it drop lower than 360F. If the oil accidentally drops below 360, add a little bit more frying time to make sure all the ammonia is cooked off.
17. Place the finished pa tong go onto some paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Tip: Once the first piece is cool enough to handle, break it off and smell the inside to check if all the ammonia smell is gone. If not, you need to fry the next batch longer.
18. Serve as soon as they're cool enough to handle. Enjoy!

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BAKER'S AMMONIA: After a couple of people reporting intense ammonia smell from their product (tell-tale sign of too much ammonia) AND very quick browning (tell tale sign of a too-basic dough) I finally found out that there is a difference between baker's ammonia sold in different countries, and some countries sell products that are basically double strength of what I use.

What I use is LorAnn's Ammonium Carbonate (Baker's Ammonia). If you are using a different brand, there may be a possibility that you are using the double strength stuff. Unfortunately there's no way to tell which one you have, so you have to give it a go and if you end up with a much-too-strong ammonia aroma, use only HALF the amount of your baker's ammonia, and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 

Thai-Style Chinese Doughnut (Pa Tong Go) ปาท่องโก๋

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 12-14 pieces

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Description

Crisp on the outside, chewy and airy on the inside, these Thai-Chinese doughnuts are the perfect thing to pair with a coffee for a quintessential Thai breakfast.

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Ingredients

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g cornstarch
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp LorAnn baker’s ammonia (see *very* important note below)
• 1 tsp fine table salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 200 ml water
• For serving: Sweetened condensed milk, coconut pandan custard, or hot fresh soy milk.

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Instructions

1. Sift flour and cornstarch together into a mixing bowl.
2. Put water into a small bowl then add salt and sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Add baking ammonia and stir until dissolved (don't put your nose directly over the water so you don't get an accidental whiff of ammonia!)
4. Stir the oil into the water and pour everything into the flour.
5. Mix with your hand just until combined and no dry flour is left, it should only take 1-2 minutes. DON'T KNEAD. The dough should be shaggy and sticky, and does not look right (but it is!). Cover and rest for 2.5-3 hours.
6. When ready to fry, preheat at least 1.5 inches of frying oil in a wide pot or wok to 375F.  Ideally, keep a deep-fry thermometer in the oil while you fry. If you don’t have a thermometer that can stay in the pot, check your oil temp often while you fry.
7. While the oil is heating, prepare a large cutting board near the oil; this is your dough-shaping station.
8. Dust the board thoroughly with flour, then turn the dough onto the board. Dust the top of the dough with more flour, then use your hands to pat the dough down into a ¼ inch thick rectangle, 7-8 inches wide, keeping the sides as straight as possible to minimize waste. Do not knead the dough and try to work it as little as possible.
9. Cut the rectangle into 3 strips (each should be about 2 ¼ - 3 inches wide; do NOT make these bigger or the ammonia may  not evaporate completely). Work with 1 strip at a time and keep the other 2 covered in a barely-moist kitchen towel or plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
10. Trim the ends of the strip to square them off, then cut the strip into 1-inch wide pieces (again, do not make them bigger).
11. Dip a wooden skewer or a thin chopstick into a little cup of water and paint a 1-inch vertical strip of water into the center of every OTHER piece; this will be the glue. Put the dry piece on top of the wet piece and press gently in the center to stick them together. Once you're done forming, if the oil still has a bit of time to go, cover the pieces to prevent drying.
12. Right before you drop the pa tong go into the oil, stretch the piece out with your hands until it is about double in length and drop it into the oil. TIP: To help your oil last longer, brush off excess flour from the dough with a pastry brush before dropping them into the oil.
13. Fry in oil for AT LEAST 5 minutes, flipping often, until well browned on both sides and bubbling has subsided. Keep an eye on oil temp and try to maintain it around 375F and don’t let it drop lower than 360F. If the oil accidentally drops below 360, add a little bit more frying time to make sure all the ammonia is cooked off.
14. Place the finished pa tong go onto some paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Tip: Once the first piece is cool enough to handle, break it off and smell the inside to check if all the ammonia smell is gone. If not, you need to fry the next batch longer.
15. Serve as soon as they're cool enough to handle. Enjoy!

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Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BAKER'S AMMONIA: After a couple of people reporting intense ammonia smell from their product (tell-tale sign of too much ammonia) AND very quick browning (tell tale sign of a too-basic dough) I finally found out that there is a difference between baker's ammonia sold in different countries, and some countries sell products that are basically double strength of what I use.

What I use is LorAnn's Ammonium Carbonate (Baker's Ammonia). If you are using a different brand, there may be a possibility that you are using the double strength stuff. Unfortunately there's no way to tell which one you have, so you have to give it a go and if you end up with a much-too-strong ammonia aroma, use only HALF the amount of your baker's ammonia, and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 

The post Crisp and Airy Chinese Doughnuts (Pa Tong Ko) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

How to tell if black sesame is toasted

As mentioned in the video, I like to throw in some white sesame in the mix so I have something to watch. When the white ones are golden, then I know they're ready. But if you don't have any white sesame seeds, I wouldn't want you to buy them just for this! Here's another trick: you can toast the black seeds until they start to smoke over medium low heat. After they smoke, continue to toast them for 30 more seconds and then remove from heat. Immediately spread them out onto a plate to cool. This method is not ideal, as you’re kind of guessing the doneness of the seeds. But I always err on the side of them being under-roasted, because it’s better than burnt! Once they’re cool enough you can taste them, and they should be crunchy and aromatic when properly roasted.

How to make them in advance

This is the perfect dessert to make for a dinner party because they hold up so well in advance. Once you’ve got the balls made, put them on a tray or plate and do not to let them touch so they won’t stick to each other. Wrap them with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to use. You can do this even a few days in advance. If space is an issue and you want to pack them more closely together, brush them first with oil so that if they do touch,they won't stick together so much. I still wouldn't pack them tightly together, but at least you can pack them into a tupperware and they can touch a little bit and will be fine..

If you want to freeze the balls, put them on tray without touching each other, then freeze them on the tray. Once frozen, you can consolidate them into a container or a ziplock freezer bag. I noticed that if I keep these for too long in the fridge (a month), when I go to boil them again, the surface of the dough flakes off into the water. This isn't a big deal and it won't break the dish...but it is a curious thing happened to me and thought I should let  you know. Probably has to do with the ice crystals that formed and chipped away at the dough a bit. This did not happen to me when I had it in the fridge for a week.

Customizing the ginger tea

Thai people like our ginger tea SPICY. We want it to heat our throats on its way down! This, however, might be too much for some of you, and when Chinese people make this they tend to make the ginger tea quite mild in comparison. So please feel free to use less ginger or add more water to dilute if you have made the tea too spicy. Also, if serving guests with different sweet preferences, I would make the tea lightly sweetened, just a few tablespoons of sugar, and let people add their own sugar when serving. 

Storing leftover cooked balls 

If you have leftover cooked balls, don’t keep them in the water! Toss them in oil and refrigerate. The oil is important to prevent them from sticking together. They last at least a few days in the fridge but they will *probably* up to a week (though I haven't kept them for that long myself). To serve them again simply re-boil them to heat up.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Black Sesame Balls in Ginger Tea บัวลอยน้ำขิง

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Makes 20-24 balls

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Ingredients

Black Sesame Filling

• 130 g black sesame seeds (see note)
• A pinch of white sesame seeds (optional, see note)
• 40 g palm sugar
• 3-4 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
• Scant ¼  tsp salt

Ginger Tea

• 100-150g ginger (see note)
• 6 cups water
• About 4-6 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste

Dough

• 175 g glutinous rice flour
• ~150-175 ml water

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Instructions

Make the Filling

If using raw sesame seeds, roast them first by adding a pinch of white sesame seeds in with the black, then stir them over medium-low heat in a dry wok or saute pan until the white seeds turn golden. The seeds will smoke a bit; this is normal. Remove from heat and immediately spread them out onto a large plate to cool them down. If you don’t have white sesame seeds, see above.

Grind the sesame seeds in a coffee grinder for 5-7 seconds until fine. The seeds should start to stick a bit to the bottom of the grinder, but still powdery and not yet oily. Do not over do it or it will turn into tahini! You can also grind them in a mortar and pestle, but this will take a while so grind a little bit at a time.

In a small pot, melt 3 tablespoon coconut oil or butter with sugar and salt over low heat. Once the sugar is melted, turn off the heat and add the ground sesame and mix well. The mixture should come together into a paste that holds together. If it is too runny and you don't think you can make balls out of them later, grind some more sesame seeds and add them to absorb the liquid. If it is too dry and crumbly and isn’t holding together, add more oil or butter.

Transfer the mix into a bowl and let cool to room temp.

Once the mixture cools, weigh out about 9g of filling, then compress it into a ball (see video for technique). It does not have to be perfect. Cover and freeze until firm.

Make the Ginger Tea

While the filling is cooling, this is a good time to make the ginger tea. Slice the ginger into rounds then pound it in a mortar and pestle until broken and bruised.

Simmer the ginger in water for 20-30 minutes. When done, taste the tea for spiciness. If it is too spicy add more water to dilute, if not enough, you can add more ginger and let it simmer some more until you're happy with the heat level.

Strain the tea then add dark brown sugar to taste. This tea will keep for at least a week in the fridge.

Make the Dough

Add glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl. Add a little splash of the water and mix it in with your hand. Then add a splash more water, and continue to mix it in, little by little, until a soft and smooth dough forms.

The dough is good when it no longer sticks to bowl, and it doesn’t stick to your hands. It should be easily pliable like play-dough, but should retain its shape and doesn’t droop when left alone. Be VERY careful not to add too much water as it can go from dough to puddle with just a tiny bit too much water. So when you’re close, add just a tiny bit of water at a time.

Cover and rest the dough for at least 15 mins.

Wrap the Dumplings

Oil the palms of your hands.

Pinch off 12g- 13g of dough, then roll it into a ball. At this point, I would watch the video again for the wrapping technique cuz it’s much easier to see than for me to write it out!

Assembly

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the sesame balls to the water, then bring it back to a simmer (not a vigorous boil) and let them cook for 5 minutes. The balls should be floating by the time they’re done.

If you have a few batches to cook and you’re not serving right away, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let them sit in a bowl of room temp water while you do the other batch.This will prevent them from sticking together. If serving immediately…you could place them directly into serving bowls, but I still like to let them sit in the water briefly to cool them down a bit. They’re incredibly hot and could burn you if you eat them too soon after boiling!

When ready to serve, place 2-3 sesame balls into serving bowls. Ladle some hot ginger tea on top and enjoy! (If you’re not sure how to eat them, watch the end of the video!)

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Notes

Black sesame: You can buy sesame seeds already roasted from Korean or Japanese grocery stores. If you’re gonna do that check the date on the package and make sure it’s not old. However, I like to start with raw sesame seeds and roast them myself for fresher flavour. And make sure you have a bit extra seeds on hand in case the filling is too runny you will have more to add to it.

White sesame: The white sesame seeds are used for helping you determine when the black sesame seeds are sufficiently toasted. Obviously you won’t need them if you’re buying pre-roasted seeds.

Ginger: 150g ginger will make a SPICY ginger tea which is popular with Thai people. You don’t have to add that much. Chinese people tend to make a less spicy version, so it’s really up to you. If you’re not sure, start with less and you can always add more. If you’ve made it too spicy by accident just add more water.

The post Black Sesame Balls in Ginger Tea บัวลอยน้ำขิง appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

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Want a beautiful, Instagram-worthy dessert that will impress everyone, but that is actually super easy? This recipe is the perfect thing for such an occasion. Not to mention it is healthy, naturally vegan and gluten free, so no matter what your guests' dietary needs are, they can enjoy these gorgeous coconut water fruit cubes!

Coconut water is one of my all time favourite beverages. It's high in electrolytes, much lower in sugar than juice, and oh so refreshing when it's very, very cold. But it's more than a drink! In Thailand we also use coconut water in cooking, especially in desserts. Even though this recipe isn't a "traditional" dish, it's inspired by the more classic coconut jelly duo.

Watch The Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Choosing The Best Coconut Water

The sweetness and flavour of coconut water REALLY matters in this recipe. So it's very important that you choose one that is sweet and fragrant, and there is a HUGE range of qualities out there on the market. Many people assume that since all packaged coconut water say "100% coconut water" on the label, they should all be the same, right? NOPE. Far from it.

Packaged coconut water is actually a combination of young AND mature coconut water. Mature coconuts are the dark brown ones with a hairy husk, and their water doesn't actually have much sweetness or flavour going on at all. On the other hand, young coconuts are green on the outside with a white husk (though ones you see at the store are probably white because the green skin has been removed) and their water can be very sweet and fragrant—definitely the more delicious one between the two!

Different brands of coconut water combine the two at different ratios, which is why some brands are rather bland, while others are much sweeter despite them all being "100% coconut water." Over the years I've tried many brands, and settled on UFC as my go-to because it has the best flavour. So I was quite excited when they asked me to develop a recipe using their coconut water!

For more about young VS mature coconuts, watch my coconut documentary!

Can I Use Gelatin Instead?

Every time I post an agar jelly recipe, this question comes up. And my answer is the same: yes...but. There are so many but's because the two "jellies" are very different even though they both turn liquid into gel. Gelatin is soft and bouncy, agar is neither of those things so they end up being very different desserts.

I talk about substituting gelatin in detail the video, so please watch starting from minute 12:10. It could make or break the recipe so please actually watch it!

As for the ratio, 1 tablespoon of gelatin sets about 2 cups of liquid, so for this recipe you will need 2 Tbsp. You can adjust this ratio to make a softer or firmer result depending on your preference.

Coconut Water Jelly Cubes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: About 40 cubes

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Ingredients

• 4 cups UFC coconut water
• 1 Tbsp (8 g) agar agar powder (see note)
• 6 Tbsp sugar (or to taste)
• Fruit of your choice: I used mango, pineapple, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mandarin slices, and kiwi fruit. Make sure the fruits are good! If they're not ripe or sweet, the dessert won't be good.
• 1.25” silicone cube mold, or another mold of your choice (silicone will make it easier to unmold)

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Instructions

Prep the fruit:

1. For fruits that are smaller than the mold (blueberries, blackberries, mandarin slices) leave them whole. For larger fruit, cut them into small pieces no larger than ¾ inch. For strawberries, choose a small one and cut them in half.
2. Place fruit into the molds, a few pieces per piece if they're small, but make sure you don't crowd the mold or the jelly won't be able to hold together. You want to leave plenty of room around the fruit so that it will be well surrounded by the jelly.

Make the jelly:

1. Put 2 ½  cups of the coconut water in a small pot, sprinkle agar agar powder on top and stir.
2. Turn the heat on and bring to a full boil while stirring frequently. Once it comes to a full boil, turn off the heat, then check that the agar agar powder has fully dissolved by spooning some liquid into a metal spoon, then pour the liquid off and look to see that there are no specks of agar powder remaining on the spoon.If there are specks keep heating and stirring till they're gone.
   
3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of coconut water to help cool it down faster. If using delicate fruits that turn soft easily like strawberries, don't do this until it's warm (you should be able to put your finger in it with no problem) so that it won't cook the fruit and turn it mushy. You can start using it on other sturdier fruits first (pineapple, mangoes, mandarin oranges will do fine) and come back for the delicate ones once it's cool enough.

Assembly

1. Transfer the coconut water into a container with a pouring spout. Fill each mold with the coconut water until it just comes under the rim (don't let it flow over or the pieces will be connected together at the top and won't have clean sides).
2. Let cool until at least the top is set (for easy no-spill transport), then move them to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours so they will be nice and cold for serving.
3. To unmold: simply turn it upside down, holding it slightly above a serving plate, then push on the bottoms of all the pieces until they slide out. If you're using a hard mold, you can insert a toothpick into the side while holding it upside down over a plate, then push it slightly and it should slide out easily.
4. Flip them upside down for serving. Enjoy!

Important Note on Unmolding: Do not unmold or cut agar jelly until close to serving time. When agar jelly is uncontained, water will slowly seep out because it's an unstable gel. A small amount of water loss will not affect how it tastes, and if it has to sit for a couple of hours unmolded that's fine, but you want to avoid it when possible. If you want to give it away to people, I recommend making it in clear heat-proof plastic or glass cups that you're willing to part with.

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Notes

Make sure you're buying pure agar agar powder with no sugar or any other ingredients added (you need to check the ingredient list.) Also if measuring by volume, you need to use agar agar POWDER. If using flakes, use the weight in grams.

The post Coconut Water Jelly Cubes appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.