565. Mango Coconut Jelly (woon mamuang)

Mouthwatering and cooling

      For the month of May members of Shhh Cooking Secretly decided to use mango as the main ingredient and their partners had to still give 2 secret ingredients that can be used along with mango. So far the photos I seen from fellow members vary from curry, ice cream to pickles. My partner for this month Sharanya Palanisshami of Sara's Tasty Buds gave me coconut and agar agar as my other two ingredients. Check out her blog. She has a wide variety of recipes ranging from traditional to baked.
     For a long time I had saved  the recipe Mango Coconut Jelly by Pailin of Hot Thai Kitchen. Finally I made it for this challenge. The jelly turned out well taste wise. It's a very refreshing and light dessert. However, Pailin's mango and coconut layers stayed together when she cut into squares, mine didn't.(notice the finger dents as I was trying to keep the coconut layer in place!) However, that does not deter me from sharing this recipe as it was really tasty. Maybe next time I make it, I will probably set it in individual bowls or glasses so I don't have to cut it into squares. 
Updated:
     The dessert was so yummy and light that I decided to make it again before the deadline for posting. This time I set the jelly in small glasses. I added small mango cubes to the mango jelly layer.  By the way those small glasses are a gift from fellow bloggers Rafeeda and Huma. They simply are so beautiful. Thanks you Huma and Rafeeda. Do visit their blogs for recipes influenced both by India and Middle East.  
    Mango and coconut is an exotic combination.When I made it first time I added fresh mint leaves to the mango layer to give it that extra freshness. However, when I was cutting the jelly, the mint leaves kept on getting stuck on the knife. Second time round I just decorated the jelly with mint leaves.
    Here's the recipe. Make it with a fruit of your choice. 

my first attempt where layers kept on separating.

MANGO COCONUT JELLY (WOON MAMUANG)
Serves 4-6
Recipe source : Hot Thai Kitchen

For the mango layer:
250g (approx 1¼ cup) diced sweet mango
2 tsp agar agar powder or 2 tbsp agar agar flakes
1 cup cold water
2-4 tbsp sugar
½ cup orange juice
½ - 1 tbsp lemon juice
chopped fresh fruit or a few mint leaves

For the coconut layer:
⅔ cup coconut milk
1 tsp agar agar powder or 1 tbsp agar agar flakes
2 tbsp sugar
⅔ cup water
a generous pinch of salt

Preparation of mango layer:

1. Add mango and orange juice to blender jug.
2. Puree the mango to a smooth liquid.
3. Mix water and agar agar in a pan.
4. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Keep stirring till the agar agar dissolves. Make sure the agar agar has dissolved completely.
6. Add sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Add the mango puree and mix well.
8. Taste the mixture and add the lemon juice accordingly. You don't want it too sour. It should add a refreshing taste. At this stage you can add extra sugar too if required.
9. Pour the liquid into a tray. I used a 8"X 8"square tray.
10. Add fresh fruit or mint leaves if you are using any.
11. Let the mango layer set. 

Preparation of the coconut layer:

1. Mix water and agar agar in a pan.
2. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Stir the mixture so that the agar agar does not stick to the bottom.
4. Add sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Add coconut milk. Mix well.
6. Slowly pour the coconut mixture over a spoon on top of the mango layer.
7. Put the tray in the fridge and let the jelly set completely.
8. I left it in the fridge for 3-4 hours. 
9. As Pailin mentioned its best when its cold. 

Cut the jelly into squares and serve.(if you have set it in a tray)

Tips:

• Pop any bubbles that form otherwise you will get an uneven surface.
• Its best to use a mango that is not fibrous.
• Add any fruit of your choice to the mango layer.
• You can add a dash of alcohol if you like.
• The mistake I made is that I put the mango layer to set in the fridge. As a result the top layer was just too set when I added the hot coconut layer. This resulted in the coconut layer sliding off the mango one.
• I required less sugar than that mentioned in the original recipe. Taste the mango and coconut liquids to check if you need to add more.
• Use moulds, glasses, bowls etc to set the jelly.
• After adding the sugar to the water, make sure to bring it to a boil. This will help to set the jelly well. 

You may want to check out the following:

choco coconut bites

mango coconut paletas

eggless mango coconut muffins

Sending this recipe for the following event: