Coconut Puddings (Cornstarch / Gelatine / Agar)

This is like kueh with a creamy texture.

 Prep ~ 5-10 min; chill ~ 3 hours; cost ~ S$2; fat & calories ~ scary

Tools:

  1 cooking pot

  1 stirrer (I like to use a flat edged silicon spatula)

  1/3 measuring cup
  6-8 small glasses / jelly molds or 1 plastic disposable box
 
Ingredients:
  1 Cup (250ml) coconut milk (I use Heng Guan chilled coconut milk)
  1 Cup (250ml) water
  1/3 Cup sugar (to taste)
  Pinch of salt

  Slurry: 1/3 Cup cornflour mixed with 1/3 Cup water (stir well before using)

  
Method:

   Place coconut milk, sugar & salt into cooking pot & bring to the boil. 

   Cook a few minutes to dissolve sugar.

   Stir slurry into boiling mixture & stir till thickened (~ 10 secs).
   Take off fire & keep stirring a while more. 

   Pour mixture into glasses / molds.
   Smooth the top & leave to cool, then chill for about 4 hours.

   Serve directly in glasses or turn out & cut into squares.

Optional: Serve with Gula Melaka Syrup
  Option 1 (Easy): Gula Melaka Syrup from a bottle (Singlong brand)
  Option 2: Dissolve a quantity of gula melaka in 1/2 the quantity of water & strain.

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Chocolate Pudding

Heat 1.5 C water + 3 T evaporated milk in a pot. Add 1/3 C sugar (or to taste). and add 4-6 T cocoa. Thicken with slurry of 2 T cornstarch + 2T water. When thick enough that a spatula lifted out leaves a "trail", turn off the heat and spoon the mix into jelly molds.

Variation with agar agar ...
Place 1.5 C water in a pot. Soak 3g of agar strips snipped into tiny pieces in it for ~10 mins.  Turn the heat on, add 1/3 sugar (or to taste), and stir till liquid looks clear (sugar & agar dissolved).  Stir in cocoa till dissolved.  Thicken with slurry of 2T cornstarch & 2 T water. 

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HK Coconut Pudding (Ye Chup Go) 椰汁糕

I absolutely LURVE this pudding which used to be commonly found in Hong Kong Tim Sum push cart restaurants.  Haven't seen them around for a long time though.  Not only is this a yummy dessert, gelatine is also good for hair, nails and skin!  A lighter version is the Cloud Pudding - when the jelly is chilled & half set, fold in stiffly beaten egg white (from 2 eggs) gently with a wire whisk.  

Ingredients:
  1 Cup (250ml) coconut milk (my preferred brands: Kara or Heng Guan)
  1/2 Cup (125ml) evaporated milk (for a nice rich taste) 
  1/2 Cup (125ml) fresh milk
  1 Cup (250ml) water
  1/3 - 1/2 Cup sugar (to taste)
  5-6 tsp gelatine powder (generally, 1pkt or 3 tsp powder will set 500ml of liquid)
  Pinch of salt

Place cold water in a saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatine powder evenly over the water & allow it to "bloom" for 5 minutes. DON'T stir it or disturb it! After that, add sugar & heat gently (DO NOT BOIL) till the sugar and gelatine are dissolved completely.  Turn off the fire.

Stir in the other liquids & pinch of salt. Pour into a container (plastic disposable ones are good - jelly unmolds very easily). As the other liquids are cold, the entire mixture should be cool enough to place in the fridge right away.  Pop the lid on & chill, preferrably overnight. Cut into squares to serve.

NB: If coconut milk is not available, simply use milk & water with a teaspoon of coconut extract.

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Cantonese Red Bean Coconut Pudding (Agar)

This is NOT my video or recipe but something interesting I found on Youtube :-)  

Ingredients:

   50g dried red beans, washed & soaked overnight

  
  600ml water
  100g sugar (~ 1/2 Cup)
  6g agar strips
  pinch of salt

  Slurry
  50g cornflour (~ 1/3 Cup)
  200ml coconut milk
  63g evaporated milk (~ 1/4 Cup)

Method:

Cook red beans (which have been soaked overnight) in boiling water over medium heat for 20mins with lid off, and then 20mins with lid on, till beans are softened. Drain.

Boil water in pot. Add agar, sugar & salt. Stir over medium heat till dissolved.  Add coconut milk (in the video, this was mixed with cornflour & evaporated milk into slurry but I think this is easier).

Mix cornflour with evaporated milk into a slurry. Stir into the boiling agar mixture and cook till thick, stirring constantly.

Pour into a plastic container (those microwaveable ones).  Cool, then chill for several hours till set. Tip it out & cut into squares to serve.