i used agar-agar powder in place of powdered gelatin (inspired by santos' entry for the IMBB orange event) because agar-agar or kanten in Japan and gulaman as we call it in the Philippines, seems healthier (being derived from seaweed). this is what my sister and i used, in its other form of dried sticks (in white, red or green), when we made our sweet cold treats in the hot dry months. just remember that it only takes 1 tsp. of agar agar powder to gel 1 & 1/4 cups of liquid and that after being dissolved in hot liquid it cools down and works very quickly.
mango pudding is standard fare on the dessert cart at most dimsum places. every single one i've tasted didn't taste much like mango, so i decided to try and give it a go using a puree of canned mangoes in syrup and garnishing with slices of fresh Champagne mangoes from Mexico and the the fruit that's prickly spiky on the outside yet delectable on the inside, rrrrrambutan....
i get to spotlight rambutan fruit in a recipe!
the june 2005 issue of bon appetit features it ignobly as "freaky fruit". why not exotic? unusual? odd?
finally i saw it here in this part of the world, and it was expensive! but i had to have the kids take a taste. only my daughter was brave enough but she loved it, describing it as milder than lychee
IMBB# 15
mango and rambutan gulaman
2 tsps. agar agar powder
1 cup water
1 can mango in syrup, drained, syrup reserved
2/3 cup mango syrup from can
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 can rambutan in syrup, drained, sliced
slices of fresh mango
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
(cubes of pandan flavored nata de coco, optional)
puree drained mango slices in blender or food processor.
stir agar agar powder in water over medium heat until dissolved, stirring occasionally. add mango puree, syrup and sugar, and stir until smooth and sugar is dissolved.
remove from heat and add heavy cream and sliced rambutan.
pour into a glass loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. let set in refrigerator about 30 minutes to a couple of hours. (alternatively, pour mixture into ramekins or small juice glasses for individual servings.)
unmold onto a plate. slice and dice into cubes and serve in little bowls. garnish with pandan flavored nata de coco, whipped cream, and slices of fresh mango.
note:
agar agar powder is sold in little plastic packets in the dried goods aisle of most Asian groceries.
nata de coco from the Philippines or Thailand, rambutan in syrup, and canned mangoes are all also readily available from Asian groceries.
(posting early. our PC is throwing tantrums...)
the round-up is here!
