Super easy and quick to prepare, this Coconut dessert is one I had to adapt from my Indian-style coconut soufflé! Often when I have guests for dinner and if they are vegan, I tease my brain to find all the Indian non-dairy sweets. For friends who follow kosher meals, who do not eat dairy with meat, this is the perfect solution. I find myself often returning to this desert albeit with different fruit combinations. In spring, it is rhubarb, in summer berries & peaches, and the rest of the year mangoes, persimmons, or saffron stewed pears. The main basic desert remains the same, and it is easy to adapt any fruit for the topping. Do give it a try, and get hooked on it just like me, because the simplicity of it is something even students on low budgets and living in student rooms can make it!
Note: If using any other fruit than Rhubarb, lightly stew it or serve berries & soft fruit raw. Skip the process of the Topping. Use silicone cupcake molds or line the ramekins with disks of parchment paper if you want to serve tipped onto a plate.
1 tsp=5ml / 1 Tbsp=15ml / 1 cup=225 ml / Makes 4 ramekins of 120ml capacity
| 1 ½ cup coconut milk freshly made or from a tin. (Choose brands that have the least additives in coconut milk). | |
| 1/3 cup sugar (I use ½ crystal sugar & ½ raw cane or palm sugar for extra taste) | |
| 2 level tbsp rice flour | |
| 2 level tbsp cornflour/ maizena | |
| 1 tsp vanilla essence/ extract | |
| 1 tsp orange blossom or rose water | |
| (you can even just use cardamom/ cinnamon, what ever flavour is available in your pantry, I give you my options) | |
| 2 tsp coconut oil | |
| TOPPING: | |
| 2 Tbsp dry desiccated coconut/ or very finely chopped / blitzed nuts | |
| 1 large stalk of Rhubarb ( or any fruit you have chosen) | |
| 1 +_ tbsp coconut oil | |
| 2 tbsp sugar |
Super easy and quick to prepare, this Coconut dessert is one I had to adapt from my Indian-style coconut soufflé! Often when I have guests for dinner and if they are vegan, I tease my brain to find all the Indian non-dairy sweets. For friends who follow kosher meals, who do not eat dairy with...
| 1. | Mix 1 ¼ cup of the coconut milk & sugar in a heavy-based saucepan ( reserve ¼ cup coconut milk for mixing as follows). |
| 2. | Place the saucepan to heat, keep stirring off & on. |
| 3. | In a small bowl mix the rice flour with ⅛ cup coconut milk to make a slurry. If needed, add more coconut milk from the pan to it. Add this slurry to the pan, using a whisk to mix through & blend. |
| 4. | Mix the cornflour/ maizena similarly with ⅛ cup coconut milk till smooth, add it to the pan while whisking to avoid any lumps forming. |
| 5. | Over medium-high heat, use the whisk to stir slowly till the mixture thickens & remains smooth. |
| 6. | Now add the 2 tsp coconut oil and whisk through. Remove pan from heat and place in a wide pan of water to cool off quickly. Keep stirring. |
| 7. | After about 5 mins. Pour equal portions into 4 ramekins. (About 1/2 full) |
| 8. | Sprinkle the tops with the desiccated coconut quickly so no skin forms on the surface. ( Or the nuts). |
| 9. | Keep it for a minimum of 40 mins in the fridge to set and cool, preferably longer to chill. (Cover each ramekin with parchment or clingfoil before setting it in the fridge). |
| 10. | TOPPING: |
| 11. | Wash & cut the rhubarb in 3 cm lengths. Keep the reddish skin on if possible for the colour. |
| 12. | Heat a wide pan & melt the coconut oil. Arrange the rhubarb convex side down. |
| 13. | Keep the heat on low. After 3-4 minutes turn over the rhubarb on the other side. Sprinkle the sugar all over, cover & steam cook on low heat for a minute more. |
| 14. | Do not open the lid, take the pan off the heat & the rhubarb will cook in latent heat further. Rhubarb should be just cooked but hold its form. |
| 15. | To serve, either garnish the top of the chilled dessert with 3 pieces of rhubarb at room temperature. Or loosen the sides of the dessert from the ramekin, and gently flip over on a plate. Arrange the rhubarb around & serve. |
| 16. | TIP: A tsp of berry jam or chopped pistachios add more colour! |