This Kuih Talam Agar-agar Jelly Pudding is inspired by “Kuih Talam”, a popular kuih in Malaysia. If you like pandan flavour or our local kuih, you’ll love the taste of this jelly.
The flavours for this jelly pudding is similar to Kuih Talam. Main ingredients for this agar-agar pudding are pandan and coconut milk.
Cooking Tips:
- Mix the agar-agar powder, sugar and water well before cooking to prevent the jelly from forming clumps while cooking.
- While cooking, mix often so that the jelly powder does not clumping.
- Before pouring in the next layer of agar-agar liquid, make sure the first layer do NOT completely set. That is firm. If it sets, the next layer will not gel well.
- When pouring in the next layer, pour gently at the corner, side so that the it doesn’t pierce through the next layer.
- Cook the pandan layer on lowest heat, if you use high heat, the jelly will not have a smooth texture.
Pandan is a tropical plant widely available in South East Asia. Pandan leaves or pandan juice is frequently used in cooking dessert or savoury dishes in South East Asia. Pandan flavour is the South East Asian closest equivalent to vanilla extract. I get my pandan leaves from my garden :P.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Agar-agar?
Agar-agar is extracted from seaweed and is plant-based. It works like gelatin and is often used to make jelly, especially in Asia. Being plant based, it has become very popular amongst vegetarians or vegans as a substitute for gelatin. It is odorless and does not contribute much taste to the jelly, perhaps just a slight hint of fragrance.
Agar-agar comes in powder form or strips. You can substitute agar-agar powder with agar-agar strips if preferred.
My jelly texture is too soft/firm, can I change the texture?
Yes, you can. The texture of the jelly is based on the ratio of water/liquid to agar-agar powder. So if you prefer softer texture, reduce the jelly powder or vice versa.
Why does my jelly not set?
Not enough agar-agar powder used. Different brand of jelly powder have different liquid to agar-agar powder ratio. Generally the ratio is 1g powder = 100ml liquid but may differ from brand to brand.
Agar-agar starts to activate its gelling properties when the liquid is heated above 80-90°C. So it is necessary to make sure the liquid is cooked until it is boiling. Then leave to cool to room temperature. It will start to solidify below 40°C.
What is the texture of agar-agar?
Agar-agar texture is more stiff compared to gelatin. Hence it is not so jiggly and springy.
Can I use gelatin?
The method for gelatin is not the same for agar-agar. If you want to use gelatin, you can follow the design of the jelly but you have to use the method for gelatin.
Can I use konnyaku jelly?
I did not test with this recipe but theoretically it should work.
Troubleshooting – My jelly did not set, what can I do about it?
Step 1 – If it is your first time trying the recipe there is a test you can do. Before pouring into the mold, just scoop up a small portion of the liquid into a small saucer. Place it into the fridge to set. It should take about less than 5 minutes. Check the texture of the jelly. If you are happy with it, the proceed to pour into the mold. If it did not set, add more jelly powder (before adding the powder, dilute it in some room temperature water first), pour into the existing jelly liquid and heat up the liquid again. Redo the test and once you are happy with the texture, pour into the mould
Vice versa, if you find the texture of the jelly is too stiff/hard, add more water into the existing jelly liquid and heat up the liquid again. Redo the test and once you are happy with the texture, pour into the mould
Step 2 – If you have already poured into the mold and eventually find out that it did not set. Don’t throw it away! You can always fix it. Just simply place the liquid into a pot, add jelly powder, mix well and reheat again. Then repeat the above step 1 to test the jelly.
Pandan Coconut Milk “Kuih Talam” Agar-agar Jelly | “Kuih Talam” 香兰叶椰奶燕菜果冻布丁
Ingredients
White layer 白色层:
- 3 grams agar-agar powder 燕菜粉 3克
- 40 grams sugar 糖 40克
- 200 ml water (room temperature) 水，室温度 200克
- 200 ml coconut milk 椰奶 200毫升
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste) 盐 1/4茶匙
- 1-2 pandan leaves 香兰叶 1-2片
Green layer 绿色层
- 7 grams agar-agar powder 燕菜粉 7克
- 400 ml water, room temperature 水，室温度 400毫升
- 145 grams sugar 糖 145克
- 1 egg (room temperature) 鸡蛋，室温度 1个
- 200 ml coconut milk 椰奶 200毫升
- Pandan juice (20 grams pandan leaves + 100 ml water) 香兰叶汁 （20克香兰叶 + 100毫升水）
Kitchen tools
- 7 inch square mold
Instructions
- Place pandan leaves and water into a blender. Blend well. Sieve the pandan juice. Squeeze out as much juice as possible. Sieve again with a fine sieve. You should get 95-100ml juice.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs well, add the coconut milk and pandan juice. Mix well with a fork or chopstick. Don't use a whisk as it will make the pandan jelly not smooth.
- In a pot, prepare the white layer, add agar-agar, sugar, water and pandan leaves, mix well. Low heat, bring to a boil. Mix occasionally while cooking to avoid any lumps.
- Reduce to lowest heat. Add coconut milk and salt. Mix well. It's ready when you see steam. Remove the leaves.
- Rinse mold with water before in the white layer (easier to remove the jelly later). Use a sieve, pour the while layer into the mold. Remove any air bubbles. Leave aside to set slightly.
- In a pot, prepare the pandan jelly layer, in a separate pot, add in the agar-agar powder, water, sugar. Mix well. On low heat bring to a boil.
- Off stove, scoop up half into a bowl. Let it cool down 30 seconds. Pour into the pandan coconut mixture. Mix well. Pour back into the pot.
- Cook on lowest heat until it thickens slightly and you will see steam by then. About 1 0 minutes. Also when you taste it, it will not have a raw pandan taste.
- When the white layer is slightly set (note: do not let it set completely, the 2 layers won't gel well), pour in the pandan layer.
- Use a ladle, gently pour near the sides so that it doesn't piece through the while layer. Remove any air bubbles.
- Do not move the mold after pouring in the top layer. Let it set at room temperature.
- Once firm, place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Remove from mold and cut into serving size.
Notes
- Before pouring in the next layer of agar-agar liquid, make sure the first layer do NOT completely set. That is firm. If it sets, the next layer will not gel well.
- When pouring in the next layer, pour gently at the corner, side so that the it doesn't pierce through the next layer.
- Mix the agar-agar powder, sugar and water well before cooking to avoid lumps from forming.
- While cooking, mix occasionally to avoid lumps from forming.