Buko Pandan

Tropical fruits and vegetables are appearancing at our local supermarkets . To my delight,  cassava , bak choi , mangosteen, Asian mangoes   her!her!her! okra ( Although I hate it, I'm just happy to see it. It's like meeting your least favourite relative in a foreign land when you're 

homesick! (^_^) , dragon fruits and rambutan are now displayed right along local grown potatoes,  apples, berries and pears.

I was almost skipping with happiness when fresh young coconut decided to join in! Probably the most Instagram-ed fruit or nut ( ?)  while  holidaying in the tropics.  Now, I don't have to buy plane ticket or  cross the continent just to sip that sweet, vitamin- rich coconut water!

The only downside of having this exotic treat here is the sky- high price that came with it. Coconut are literally growing like weeds in our farm in the Philippines, buying one for almost 5 Euro a piece is both dismaying and discouraging. On the other hand, a plane ticket back home cost more than a grand, so I went off and bought few of these precious fruits or nuts ( ?) !

I have been dreaming of making  Buko Pandan for years! Now, I finally got the chance to make it from scratch ! Preparation is so easy, anyone can make it with one hand tied behind their back! Let me show you how!  4 Thai young coconuts gave their lives for their recipe. I would have massacred a whole bunch but it's  too expensive and my conscience is just against it.   

Ingredients:

 shredded young coconut meat

1 pack Pandan gelatine  aka Gulaman

3 tbsp. sugar

400 ml coconut water

1/3 cup Pandan Tapioca pearls aka Sago 

500 ml  water

3 pandan leaves, tied into a knot

200 ml all purpose cream

180  ml  condense milk

Let's get cooking!

Bring coconut water and sugar into a  gentle boil. Add pandan flavoured gelatine. If you don't have it, just use a pack of regular jelly and add few drops of green food colouring to it. Pour mixture into a container. Allow to set. You can pop it in the fridge to speed up the process. 

Put 2 cups of water in a pot. Add pandan leaves  and bring it to a boil. Add tapioca pearls ( the pandan flavoured or green ones, if you could find it).  Cook until almost translucent . Takes around 12-15 minutes. Strain, discard pandan leaves and transfer cooked tapioca pearls in a  large mixing  bowl.

Add your coconut meat(  I like large strips of coconut for extra bite but you can shred it finely too. ). Add in cream and condense milk. If you prefer sweeter dessert, feel free to add more condense milk into the mixture. 

Gently stir all the ingredients until well integrated.

Cut pandan jelly into cubes.

Add into the buko mixture. Toss gently. Refrigerate for about 4 hours. 

Serve cold and do enjoy life's simple pleasures.