Thach Thanh Long (Dragon Fruit Coconut Jelly) Recipe
Sweets and drinksChilled DessertsVietnam30 minutes of hands on work, plus chilling time in the fridge
Dragon fruit coconut jelly comes out bright pink and lightly creamy, with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. The tricky part is even setting, since the jelly can turn firm in one spot and loose in another.
The cause is usually the tapioca pearls: they need to cool completely before going into the glasses, because warm pearls leave holes in the layer above. The gelatin has to melt fully before it goes into the blended dragon fruit.
This batch weighs about 1kg, at roughly 111 calories per 100g. It suits a cool dessert on a hot day.
Method
Soak 30g dried tapioca pearls in water for about 15 minutes, then bring them to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pot.
Cook until the pearls turn clear, then turn off the heat, drain them and let them cool completely.
Soak 15g gelatin sheets in cold water for about 15 minutes to soften.
Scoop the flesh from 2 red dragon fruit into a blender with 200ml coconut milk and blend until smooth. Strain it through a sieve to remove the seeds if preferred.
Warm the gelatin with a little water until fully dissolved, then stir it into the blended dragon fruit.
Spoon the tapioca pearls into the glasses first.
Pour the dragon fruit mixture on top, then chill in the fridge until the jelly sets.
Tips
Tapioca pearls need to cool completely before going into the glasses, since warm pearls make the jelly set unevenly.
Straining the dragon fruit mixture through a sieve removes the seeds and gives a smoother jelly.
Gelatin has to dissolve completely in warm water before mixing, otherwise it forms chewy lumps.
Red dragon fruit is sweet enough on its own to carry this dessert.
Pouring the jelly while it is still warm to the touch keeps it clinging to the pearls without splitting into layers.
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