How to Make Buko Pandan Gelatin

BUKO PANDAN GELATIN

Flipinos are known to have a sweet tooth. In every occasion, a tasty dessert is expected to be served. One of the most common and a favorite by many desserts is the buko pandan gelatin. It is usually served after a meal or for some a snack especially during the summer season. This dish originated in the province of Bohol, a small province in the Philippines. Because of its milky and sweet taste, this recipe spread like fire in the Philippines. Also, because of the abundance of coconut in the said country, this type of salad can easily be prepared and served in every occasion. Below is the procedure on how to make a buko pandan gelatin.

Ingredients:

2 young coconuts (buko) for substitute prepared 700 ml young coconut juice in packs

5 fresh screw pine (pandan) leaves or as substitute ½ teaspoon pandan flavoring

2 packs ( 75 grams/ pack) unflavored or sweetened green powder gelatin

2 cups coconut sport (macapuno) ice cream or 250 grams whipped cream

Materials:

Big knife – use to crack the coconut open

Coconut scraper

Bowl

Casserole

Tong

Shallow rectangular shaped pan

Preparation:

1.       Crack open the young coconuts, if using. Reserve the coconut juice (approximately 3 cups).

2.       Scrape the meat from the coconuts with a scraper to yield around 1 cm strips of coconut meat. Set it aside in a bowl. Throw then the coconut shells.

Cooking:

1.       Get your casserole. Fill it with your coconut juice. Place it over the stove and set it at medium heat. Boil pandan leaves in the coconut juice for about ten minutes or until the pandan flavor has been extracted. Remove then the leaves using a tong or clipper. If using pandan flavoring, mix this with the coconut juice.

2.       Add the green powdered gelatin to the coconut juice mixture and dissolve.

3.       Pour unto a shallow rectangular pan. See to it that the mixture should reach about 1 cm or ¼ inch thick.

4.       Chill for about 4 hours or until it becomes firm.

5.       Cut into 1 cm cubes and place in a serving bowl. If using young coconuts, mix in the coconut meat and refrigerate.

Serving suggestions:

Just before serving, you may place an ice cream in a bowl and stir to melt it a bit to a creamy consistency. Add then the gelatin cubes and the coconut meat to the bowl of ice cream.

Special considerations:

Vanilla ice cream, or better yet, the rich ice cream called mantecado, are refreshing variations on the predictable macapuno ice cream.

Use big martini glasses for attractive individual servings.

Ideally, a scraper is used to scrape the coconut meat. However, a spoon can also be used but it yields a bigger and irregular shaped coconut meat.

A young coconut is preferred to have a soft and sweet coconut meat.

To further enhance the taste of your buko pandan, condense milk, heavy cream and kaong may be added. This will give an extra sweet and tasty flavoring on your buko pandan gelatin.