Opposite, from left: Hands-on
at Boon Luck Farm; Amy Chanta.
Pandan, tapioca and young
coconut pudding
SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)
“This is an oldie but a goodie,” says Anderson. “We will often
knock up this quick dessert as a snack and have a pot on
standby around the farm – everyone is always hungry from
working in the fi eld and having this little sugar buzz keeps us
going. The trick with any grain is to soak it overnight – not only
will it help with cooking time, it will help unlock nutrients and
rid the grain of phytic acid which inhibits mineral absorption.
So soak away.” Begin this recipe at least two hours ahead
to soak the tapioca.
1 small taro (50gm; see note),
peeled and fi nely diced
Jasmine extract (see note),
to taste
500 ml (2 cups) coconut water
from 2 young coconuts,
1 cup fl esh reserved
3 pandan leaves, tied
1 cup tapioca pearls,
soaked in cold water
(2 hours or overnight)
250 gm caster sugar
1 tbsp pandan extract (or
to taste; see note)
SALTED COCONUT
250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
1 tbsp rice fl our1 Cook taro in a saucepan
of boiling water until tender
(6 minutes). Drain.
2 Combine jasmine extract
with water to taste to make up
250ml. Combine with coconut
water and pandan leaves in a
saucepan and bring to a simmer
over medium heat. Add tapioca,
reduce heat to low, and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until
translucent (5-8 minutes). Add
sugar, stirring to dissolve, then
reduce heat to very low. Add
pandan extract, stirring until
green, then add coconut
fl esh and taro. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until mixture is
sticky and a runny, gelatinous
consistency (5-8 minutes).
3 For salted coconut, bring
coconut cream to a simmer
in a saucepan over low heat.
Whisk in fl our and ½ tsp salt
until smooth, then whisk until
starting to thicken (2 minutes).
4 Serve pudding warm or at
room temperature with a drizzle
of salted coconut cream.
Note Taro, jasmine extract and
pandan extract are available
from Asian grocers. To make
jasmine extract, simmer ½ cup
(fi rmly packed) jasmine fl owers
with 500ml water for 5 minutes.
Then steep for 20 minutes.
Whisk in sugar to taste. To
make pandan extract, blend
15 chopped pandan leaves in
a food processor with a splash
of water, then pass through
muslin or a fi ne sieve. Use more
leaves for a more vibrant colour.
Wine suggestion: Passito-style
sweet wine. ●GOURMET TRAVELLER 117