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Khanom tako
Pandan coconut cream jelly cups
ขนมตะโก้ · pandan jelly cups with a salted coconut-cream top
Little boxes of folded pandan leaf filled with jelly sit on the trays of every khanom seller in central Thailand, from Chatuchak's dessert stalls to the morning market in Nakhon Pathom. The base is firm, cool and green with diced water chestnut for crunch; the thick white top is coconut cream set with rice flour and seasoned with a clear note of salt, which is the whole point. They are eaten as a mid-afternoon snack, two or three at a time. Chef's tip: most people undersalt the coconut layer; it should taste lightly salty on its own, so the sweet base underneath sings.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the green base
- 8 pandan leavesplus about 24 long leaves for folding cups, or use small paper cups
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 ⅜ oz mung bean starchor arrowroot
- ⅔ oz rice flour
- 3 ⅞ oz sugar
- 3 ½ oz water chestnutstinned, drained and diced small
For the coconut top
- 1 ¼ cups coconut cream
- 1 oz rice flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Fold the long 8 pandan leaves leaves into small square boxes about 4 cm across, pinning the corners with cocktail sticks, or set out 12 small cups. Blend the remaining short leaves with 1 ¾ cups water and squeeze through a cloth to get green juice.
15 minStep 2: Whisk the pandan juice with 1 ⅜ oz mung bean starch, ⅔ oz rice flour and 3 ⅞ oz sugar in a saucepan until no lumps remain.
2 minStep 3: Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture thickens, turns glossy and goes from cloudy to translucent green, about 8 minutes. Stir in 3 ½ oz water chestnuts.
8 minStep 4: Spoon the hot base into the cups so they are two-thirds full. Leave to firm up while you make the top.
5 minStep 5: In a clean pan whisk 1 ¼ cups coconut cream, 1 oz rice flour, 1 tbsp sugar and ¾ tsp salt. Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, until it thickens to a smooth, spoonable custard that holds a trail, about 6 minutes. Don't let it boil hard or it will split.
6 minStep 6: Spoon the coconut layer over the green base to fill each cup. Cool, then chill for at least 1 hour so both layers are set. Eat within 2 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khanom tako take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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