Agar-agar is a vegetarian alternative to Jelly (or Jello, in America). Jelly is made from gelatin, which is derived from collagen in animal by-products, whereas agar-agar is derived from seaweed and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This pineapple agar-agar is a very refreshing dessert on a hot summer’s day..
Agar-agar is used in Asian desserts, and is commonly flavored with coconut milk. This recipe is my creation, which uses fruit juice and pieces like western fruit jelly, and takes advantage of the fact that pineapple can be used with agar-agar. It's not possible to make (real) pineapple jelly (the pineapple's acidity prevents the gelatin from setting).
Agar-agar is available in either powder or strip form, in most Asian and health food stores. Get the powder form as it is easier to use in cooking.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free)
1 can pineapple pieces in natural juice (225g)
1 teaspoon agar-agar powder
3 tablespoons sugar (adjust the quantity to taste)
500 ml water
Cooking
Variation: You can make agar-agar with any type of fruit or juice, as long as the agar-agar is dissolved in hot boiling water first. I have made agar-agar desserts using a variety of different canned fruits, including cherries, raspberries and lychees.
Agar-agar is used in Asian desserts, and is commonly flavored with coconut milk. This recipe is my creation, which uses fruit juice and pieces like western fruit jelly, and takes advantage of the fact that pineapple can be used with agar-agar. It's not possible to make (real) pineapple jelly (the pineapple's acidity prevents the gelatin from setting).
Agar-agar is available in either powder or strip form, in most Asian and health food stores. Get the powder form as it is easier to use in cooking.
Agar-agar strips Agar-agar powder
Ingredients
Serves: 4
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free)
1 can pineapple pieces in natural juice (225g)
1 teaspoon agar-agar powder
3 tablespoons sugar (adjust the quantity to taste)
500 ml water
Cooking
- Water: Bring the water to boil.
- Pineapple: In the mean time, drain the pineapple pieces and reserve the liquid. Put the pineapple pieces into a medium-sized bowl, and spread them out evenly.
- Agar-agar: When the water is boiling, add the agar-agar powder, stirring to make sure that the agar-agar dissolves in the water.
- Pineapple juice and sugar: Once the agar-agar is dissolved, add the reserved pineapple juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the agar-agar mixture into the bowl containing the pineapple pieces. Leave the agar-agar to cool down. Once it is at room temperature, refrigerate it for about 4 hours or until it is sets.
Variation: You can make agar-agar with any type of fruit or juice, as long as the agar-agar is dissolved in hot boiling water first. I have made agar-agar desserts using a variety of different canned fruits, including cherries, raspberries and lychees.
No comments:
Post a Comment