Kiwi Coconut Jellies

April 28, 2020

These adorable jellies are made with the star ingredient of this recipe- agar agar, a substance derived from red algae. Agar agar is flavorless, odorless, and a staple ingredient for vegans for when substituting gelatin. It gels like gelatin but doesn’t quite have the same bounciness. It lends a bit of a snap while still giving you the familiar sensation of jello. Depending on the ratio of agar agar and water you will either have a jiggly or firm structure; up to you how firm you want it. It is relatively easy to find at an Asian grocery store. I got it in powdered form, but agar agar sheets and flakes also exist.

I made these bites after having a lot of leftover agar agar from my attempt to make vegan gummies, which I have yet to figure out. Luckily the opportunity presented its self to make this refreshing snack. I drew inspiration from Thai cooking shows I’ve seen where agar desserts are very popular and from a bunch of kiwis I had sadly abandoned in the corner of my fridge.

Yield: 36 small squares 

INGREDIENTS

• 5 kiwis, peeled and cubed

• 1 1/2 cups cold water

• 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon agar agar powder kept separate for each layer

• ⅓ cup and 4 Tablespoons sugar kept separate for each layer (You can omit/ adjust sugar amount if you'd like.)

• ⅔ cup cold water

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• ⅔ cup coconut milk

DIRECTIONS

For the kiwi layer:

Blend the kiwi with a 1/4 cup of water until smooth.  A few small chunks is fine.  In a small pot, add the rest of the water and 2 teaspoons agar agar and stir to distribute the powder. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently, making sure that all the agar agar powder has dissolved. To the pot, add 1/4 cup sugar and kiwi purée and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and taste, adding more sugar as needed. 

Pour the kiwi mixture into an ungreased mold of your choice, but for this recipe I used a 9x9 inch square pan.  Put in the refrigerator.  

For the coconut layer:

Once your kiwi mixture is firm (this happens in about 10 min) in a small pot, combine water and 1 teaspoon agar agar and stir to distribute the powder. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently, making sure that all the agar agar powder has dissolved. Add sugar, salt, and stir until dissolved. Add coconut milk and stir until everything is incorporate and remove from heat. 

Gently pour the coconut layer over the back of a spoon on to the kiwi base to avoid any melted spots or dents. Refrigerate for 1.5 hours.

Cut into cubes or any shape and enjoy! I cut these into 2.25’’ x 2.25’’ bite sized squares.

Keep them refrigerated.