I love veggies. Honestly I do. This is however, not a health food blog. That being the case, I will present my first veggie recipe…as a dessert! Water chestnuts (the star of this dish) are not nuts. They are considered an aquatic vegetable. So is this dessert healthy? Well…um…short answer is no. Long answer is that it’s made up of carb nuggets, coated in carbs, swimming in carbs and served with carbs. I just present the facts, you can decide on what you want to do with it.
It may not seem like it but I’m actually, kinda, sorta, sometimes health conscious. But every now and then I like to enjoy life by taking in copious amounts of sugar. Here are some words I live by…
- Thai: Mai Mee Bpunhaa (“No worries”).
- French: C’est La Vie (“That’s Life”).
- Drake: YOLO (“You only live once” *This doesn’t apply if you’re Jesus, a phoenix or a cat*).
- Timon & Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata (“It means no worries for the rest of your days, it’s a….”…*you know the rest, don’t act like you don’t*).
Are you still there? If so, then I will let you in on why this dish means so much to me.
This is the first dessert I ever made. Three years ago, I made this dish for my best friend’s birthday. Two years ago, I made this for my girlfriend on our anniversary (same woman). This year, I made it to share with you guys (she thinks I did it for her…I’m gonna let her believe that, you know…for the “brownie points”). This is us three years ago sharing our first batch of Red Rubies…*Flash back with cliche’ vignette…NOW*
Personal bias aside, this dish is surprisingly refreshing and balanced. The red rubies are water chestnuts that have been coated with red food coloring and tapioca flour, giving the crunchy texture a chewy bite and vibrant color. It’s pretty bland on its own though. That’s where the coconut milk comes in. The coconut milk is fragrant and irresistibly sweet. Ladies, it’s like walking into Bath & Body Works. Men, it smells like the times your lady dragged you into Bath & Body Works. Only real difference is that you’re actually gonna enjoy this experience. Sorry ladies, truth hurts. Where was I? Right! The coconut milk also provides the perfect white backdrop to make your red rubies shine!
Let’s summarize why you need to make this:
Aesthetic: ✓
Aromatic: ✓
Taste: ✓
Textures: ✓
Untainted by my urge to mess up classic recipes: ✓*
*I will one day, I promise! Just not today.
- 8 oz Water Chestnuts
- 6 oz Tapioca Flour
- 6 drop Red Food Coloring
- 1 oz Water
- Water Half a pot
- 14 oz Coconut Milk
- 6 oz Water
- 6 oz Sugar
- 1 tsp Pandan Extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Crushed Ice To taste
- Lychee To taste
- Jackfruit To taste
- Jelly To taste
- Over medium heat, mix all the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Allow this mixture to come to room temp, then place in the fridge until it has cooled completely.
- Cut the water chestnuts into 1/3 inch chunks then mix with 1 oz water and red food coloring. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes (this allows the color to set).
- Drain and coat the water chestnuts with tapioca flour.
- Sift off the excess flour.
- Spray with a water bottle and coat with another layer of flour. Sift again.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the red rubies in. They are ready when they float and become transparent (about 2 minutes).
- Remove and submerge in an ice bath. Set aside until ready for use.
- To serve: in a bowl, place the rubies, cold sweetened coconut mixture, crushed ice and whatever else you want. I used these...
The coconut mixture is pretty sweet. The crushed ice is used to cut through the sweetness. You may add cold water to lessen the sweetness.
I have done this recipe with a single layer of tapioca flour. It's good. A double coating is better though.
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