Burmese Kyauk Kyaw - Perfected Technique

Kyauk Kyaw or Coconut Jelly

I've spent most of my adult life trying to achieve the perfect Kyauk Kyaw that has two distinct layers, one translucent and the other opaque. Finally the secret was revealed to me when my sister posted a video of it in Facebook. So thanks to Dany Kao for her instructions for a perfect dessert. The secret is to make this with a 1:5.5 ratio of coconut milk to water. I've modified her recipe to include more specific measurements pertaining to the size of cans and amount of agar-agar.

Agar Agar is a popular dessert ingredient in South East Asian countries where it is used as a substitute for gelatin. Agar agar, a seaweed extract, is a good vegan substitute for gelatin which is derived from animal products. Agar agar comes in several different forms - flakes, strands and powdered.  The powdered form of agar agar is much more potent than the flakes or strands. It takes 1 tablespoon of flakes or strands to thicken 1 cup of water, whereas 1 teaspoon of the powder is sufficient to thicken 1 cup of water.

Ingredients:

1 (13.5 fl. oz./400 ml.) can of coconut milk

9 (8 oz.) cups of room-temperature water

1 (.88 oz./25 gm.) pkg. Telephone brand agar-agar powder

1-1/2 (8 oz.) cups of sugar or Splenda

1 tsp. salt or to taste

Directions:

1. Pour water into a large saucepan, add sugar, salt and agar-agar and stir until dissolved.
2. Place saucepan over high heat and boil water and agar-agar mixture, stirring continuously.
3. Add coconut milk and again bring to a boil.
4. Turn off stove and carefully pour mixture into 2 Pyrex pans.
5. When jelly sets and comes to room temperature, refrigerate for 3-4 hours, cut into cubes and serve chilled.

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