Description
Tub Tim Krob (ทับทิมกรอบ) is a traditional Thai dessert made with crunchy water chestnuts coated in chewy tapioca flour. The little red rubies are served with a sweet pandan coconut sauce and crushed ice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 3 fresh or frozen pandan leaves, tied into a knot
- 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and diced into about 1/4-inch pieces
- 3–4 drops red food coloring
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or palm sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon water for mixing the chestnuts with tapioca flour
- 4 cups water for boiling the floured tapioca rubies
- Crushed ice, for serving
- Optional: thinly sliced jackfruit or young coconut meat
Instructions
- Prepare the Water Chestnuts. Drain and rinse the water chestnuts. Dice into small cubes, about 1/4 inch. If you're using canned water chestnuts, I like to soak them in cold water for a few minutes and drain well before using.
- Add the Color. Mix the red food coloring with a little water and toss with the diced water chestnuts until evenly coated. Let them sit for about 5 minutes, then drain off any excess liquid.
- Coat with Tapioca Flour. Add the colored water chestnuts to the tapioca flour and toss until each piece is well coated. Transfer them to a fine-mesh strainer and shake off the excess flour.
- Cook the Rubies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the coated water chestnuts. They will sink at first. Cook until they float to the top and the tapioca coating becomes translucent. Transfer immediately to an ice-water bath and let cool. Drain well, then toss the cooked rubies with a small amount of the syrup to help keep them from sticking together.
- Make the Coconut Sauce. Add the coconut cream, sugar, salt, and pandan leaves to a small saucepan. Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Don't let the coconut sauce come to a hard boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the pandan leaves before serving.
- Serve. Spoon the Tub Tim Krob into small dessert bowls and add the sweet pandan coconut sauce. Top with crushed ice and serve right away. You can also add sliced jackfruit or young coconut meat if you like.
Notes
- Cut the chestnuts to your liking. I like mine around 1/4 inch, but smaller pieces give you a more delicate crunch while larger pieces give you more water chestnut in each bite.
- Shake off the extra tapioca flour. Too much loose flour can make the cooking water thick and cloudy.
- Watch for them to float. Once the rubies float and the coating looks translucent, they're ready to come out.
- Use an ice bath. Transfer them directly from the boiling water into ice water to stop the cooking and cool them quickly.
- Don't make them too far ahead. Tub Tim Krob has the best texture when freshly made.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai