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Mứt dừa (candied coconut ribbons)
Mứt dừa non: thin ribbons of young coconut slowly candied until dry and frosted, plain or tinted with pandan
Bến Tre, the coconut province of the Mekong Delta, supplies most of the country's mứt dừa, but plenty of families still make a batch at home for the lacquered khay mứt, the tray of sweets put out for New Year visitors with green tea. The ribbons are chewy-soft in the middle and dry and sugary outside, white or dyed pale green with pandan, pink with dragon fruit or orange with gấc. Chef's tip: keep stirring gently over a low heat as the syrup thickens; high heat browns the coconut and the ribbons break if you stir roughly.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh coconut fleshfrom 1–2 semi-mature coconuts, brown skin peeled, cut into ribbons 3 mm thick
- 9 oz sugar
- 1 tsp pandan extract (optional)or 2 tbsp juice from blended pandan leaves; optional colouring
- 1 tsp lime juice
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅛ lb fresh coconut flesh ribbons in cold water for 15 minutes, then blanch in boiling water for 1 minute to remove the oily taste. Drain and cool.
18 minStep 2: Layer the coconut with 9 oz sugar in a wide bowl, add 1 tsp pandan extract if you want green ribbons, and leave for 4–6 hours, until the sugar has dissolved into a syrup.
5 minStep 3: Tip everything into a wide non-stick pan, add 1 tsp lime juice and cook over a medium-low heat, turning gently with chopsticks, until the syrup bubbles thickly.
20 minStep 4: Lower the heat and keep turning until the syrup turns white and sandy and coats every ribbon in a dry crust, about 25–35 minutes; take the pan off the heat for a moment if it starts to colour.
30 minStep 5: Spread on a tray to dry for a few hours, separating any clumps, until no longer sticky. Store airtight for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mứt dừa (candied coconut ribbons) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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Perfect for:Lunar New Year