Dessert
Young coconut jelly
Clear, wobbly jelly that tastes like ice-cold coconut water, with soft young coconut hiding in every bite.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Chill
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Fruit to use
Young Nam Hom coconuts with soft flesh you can scoop out with a spoon
About this dish
Coconut jelly is a much-loved cool treat all over Thailand, sold in little cups or set right inside the coconut shell.
Ingredients
Serves 6
Coconut water jelly
Nam Hom coconut water
600 ml (2½ cups) · from 2–3 young coconuts
Young coconut flesh
150 g (1 cup) · cut into bite-size pieces
Agar powder
5 g (about 2½ tsp) · a plant-based setting powder from seaweed; use powder, not flakes, and don't swap in gelatine
Sugar
40–60 g (3–5 tbsp) · depends on how sweet your coconut water is
Fine salt
1 pinch
Coconut milk layer (optional)
Coconut milk
250 ml (1 cup)
Agar powder
2 g (about 1 tsp)
Sugar
15 g (1 tbsp)
Fine salt
¼ tsp
Method
Open the coconuts and strain the water through a fine sieve into a pot.
Scoop out the soft flesh, cut it into bite-size pieces and set aside.
Sprinkle the agar powder over the cold coconut water, stir, and leave it for 10 minutes.
Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring all the time, then let it bubble for 2 more minutes so the agar fully dissolves.
Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved, turn off the heat and skim off any foam.
Put the coconut pieces into cups or a mould and pour the hot jelly over them.
For the coconut milk layer, make it while the first layer sets: mix the coconut milk, agar, sugar and salt in a small pot, bring to a gentle boil over low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, then turn off the heat.
Once the first layer has a firm skin on top but is still warm, gently spoon the coconut milk mixture over it.
Let it cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until very cold.
Tips
- Choose coconuts with soft, spoonable flesh. Firm, mature flesh is chewy in jelly.
- Taste the coconut water before adding sugar. If it's already sweet and fragrant, use less.
- Agar only dissolves at a real boil. If you still see grains on the spoon, keep cooking.
- Pour the coconut milk layer once the first layer has just set but is still warm, so the two layers stick together.
- You can set the jelly right in the empty coconut shells. Cute, and no washing up.