Thai cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Tub Tim Krob

Water chestnuts dyed ruby red and coated in tapioca, crunchy like rubies, served in sweetened coconut milk over crushed ice.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250g water chestnuts (canned, drained)
• 1 tsp red food coloring (or 3 tbsp beetroot juice)
• 150g tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• 400ml coconut milk
• 100g sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 pandan leaves (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 300g crushed ice

Instructions

1. Cut the water chestnuts into 1cm cubes and let them sit in the food coloring with 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes, until vividly red.
2. Briefly rinse the cubes in a sieve, drain well and toss in batches in the tapioca starch until thickly coated all over.
3. Bring plenty of water to a boil and cook the cubes for 3–4 minutes, until they rise to the surface and the coating turns translucent.
4. Immediately transfer to ice-cold water and let cool for 2 minutes – this keeps the tapioca coating crunchy – then drain.
5. Bring the coconut milk to a boil with the sugar, salt and crumpled pandan leaves, simmer gently for 3 minutes, remove the leaves and let the milk cool completely.
6. Divide the red cubes among four bowls, pour the cold coconut milk over them, pile crushed ice on top and serve at once.