Summer Queen : Mango Coconut Pudding

July 07, 2015

Summer Queen : Mango Coconut Pudding

Summer is the best time to eat mango... (even if it can be eaten nearly all-year-round).

We are not talking about the classic Mango with sticky rice today. I know you must have pictured that and crave for it.... Me tooo....

Since mango and sticky rice would only taste its best when eaten right after its made, or within the same day.

Here, summer is supposed to be over but seems like the sun really like us!

One of my friend said "There are 2 seasons in this country; Hot and Hotter" and I'm sure you also agree with him.

Now that summer is hopefully ending, I think of an experiment to come up with similar flavor of luscious mango together with creamy coconut milk and ready-to-eat, right out of the fridge.

Ready for mango experiment ?

Today's ingredient is very simple!

(I'm using this wonderful coconut jelly from a Thai blogger (Mae Salim)

Her blog is the best self-tutoring page with no-fail recipe!

As in her recipe, we need:

- 1 1/2 tbsp Agar-agar powder

- 500 gram Fresh coconut juice

- 2-3 Pandan leave (optional, for fragrance. I didn't use it)

- 200 gram Granulated sugar

- 250 ml. Coconut milk*

- 1 1/4 tsp Salt

- 1 tbsp Corn starch

- Young coconut meat (I buy whole coconut and scoop out the meat, will need 2-3 coconuts)

*If you are able to get freshly-squeezed coconut milk, it is the best. The flavor and fragrance is just outstanding! Only try to use it as soon as it is squeezed, as it can turn bad after few hours, even when chilled in the fridge.

So....

- First, get the juice out of coconut. I'd suggest asking the seller to half-open it for you and make sure you don't drink them before you get to the kitchen. I place the fresh juice in the fridge and scoop out coconut meat, try not to get the coconut shell with. Today I use half fresh coconut and half roasted coconut (**They are really good just with rum too!)

Try putting Jasmine in coconut juice when letting it sit in the fridge :)

2. Mix corn starch with 125 ml. coconut milk, then add the rest and whisk until dissolved

3. Heat coconut mixture with low heat, stir continuously. Just until the milk starts to bubble at the rim of the pot, remove from heat and set aside. If your happen to overheat coconut milk, maybe you could still make curry from it, but not jelly.

Also, try not to use the same pot with the one you make curry. I did it before and we had very nice looking coconut jelly but with disturbing curry flavor! Yike! Worse, before tasting it, I gave it to my parent's guests as gift. In Thailand you always (have to) try to be polite and friendly, the guy never accept any treat from us again. lol

That's why, in my kitchen, I always have separate pan/pot/tub/bowl for sweet ONLY.

4. In separate pot, Mix agar-agar powder with fresh coconut juice, whisk until dissolve, the same as mixing coconut milk mixture and heat the mixture with medium (If you use Jasmine, omit them before heating but with Pandan leave, heat brings even more fragrance)

5. Turn the heat up high and stir continuously, we don't want lumpy and burnt agar-agar powder at the bottom. Mae Salim mentioned in her recipe that the tip is to use high heat and observe smaller bubbles boiling to bring agar-agar powder to dissolve well and cook through.

6. Add sugar, stir and observe another small-bubble boiling. Remove Pandan leave (if using). Add salt.

7. Now the prince and princess meet, put coconut milk in agar-agar mixture. Reheat with medium heat to keep the milk longer. (but trust me, this thing never last overnight). Lower the heat and add coconut meat. Let the mixture boil, then remove from heat.

I tried both with adding coconut meat in the mixture or top the jelly when it's set. I prefer when it's in the texture.