Azuki bean & coconut milk (agar) jelly

When I lived in Singapore agar jellies were so popular that I almost could get them from every eating place. Food manufacturers added different food colorings in seperated agar liquid then made to multiplied thin layers. Their jellies looked like a gem, really too beautiful to eat! Since it is my first time to make agar jelly, I played safe and so only made three layers - azuki bean milk, coconut milk, and almond flavor with whole azuki beans.

I based on a recipe of coconut milk agar jelly and changed the flavor of liquid everytime I proceeded to another layer.

Recipes of coconut milk agar

(courtesy of "forum.lifeofelegancy.org")

Ingredients:

• 5 g agar agar (see the pic above, available in Asian food stores)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 30 g corn flour mixed with 4 Tablespoons water
• 90g sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 Tablespoons evaporated milk

Steps:

1. Soak the agar in cool water for 1/2 hour, drained well
2. In a pot, boil the 1 1/4 cups water and softened agar until the agar completely dissolved. Lower the heat if necessary.
3. Add sugar, coconut milk and evaporated milk
4. Add corn flour water. Taste the sweetness. Turn the heat off.
5. When the agar liquid is warm (as it turns solid very quick), pour it in a mould. Chill in refrigerator.

To make azuki bean milk jelly, I used the thickest part of the liquid (i.e. the most starchy that stays at the bottom) left from boiling azuki beans, to substitute the 1 1/4 cups water and coconut milk.

To make almond flavored jelly, I omitted the milk, replaced the coconut milk with water. You may need to add more sugar. After the heat turns off, add spoonfuls of almond extract and handfuls of cooked azuki bean.