RED RUBIES IN COCONUT MILK - TAB TIM GROB

     Tab Tim Grob, or Red Rubies in Coconut Milk, is a simple Thai Dessert popular throughout Southeast Asian region.   The beauty, colour and the name caught our attention from the Menu Book while we were dining at a Thai restaurant. Red coloured jellies floating in a pool of mildly sweet Coconut Milk.  Served chilled, this dessert captivated me from the very first taste of it, like any other Thai Dessert. It’s a simple concoction of Red Jellies floating in a pool of sweet, cold coconut milk. The whole dessert was devoured while my mind was totally pre-occupied with the thought, what are those Red Rubies?  They were delightful gummy textured, but equally crunchy small balls.
   The Red Rubies as they are called are actually made of Water Chestnuts. Peeled, Cubed & coated in Tapioca Flour, which I don’t think I would have guessed after eating it for the first time.  This combination produces a delightfully gummy ball(Tapioca Coating) with a surprisingly crunchy centre (texture of Water Chestnut). This particular dessert - Red Rubies in Coconut Milk called Tab Tim Grob in Thai belongs to a class of Dessert called 'Kaeng Buet' which refers to a  style of cooking Vegetables, Legumes/Pulses or Fruits in Sweetened Coconut Milk.

WHAT ARE WATER CHESTNUTS? 

     Water Chestnuts are not nuts at all. They are aquatic tuber vegetables that grow in marshes, ponds, paddy fields and shallow lakes. Water chestnuts are native to Southeast Asia, Southern China, Taiwan, Australia, Africa and many islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They are harvested when the corm, or bulb, turns into a dark brown color. They have a crisp, white flesh that can be enjoyed raw or cooked and are a common addition to Asian dishes such as Stir-fries, Chop Suey, Curries, Salads, Desserts etc.,

WATER CHESTNUTS

Water Chestnut are low in Calories, have high nutritional value and health benefits:

• Water Chestnuts are a great source of fiber which help promote bowel movements and keep your gut healthy
• Water Chestnuts help to reduce blood cholesterol levels & regulate blood sugar levels.
• Water Chestnuts are very nutritious and contain high amounts of Fiber, Potassium, Manganese, Copper, Vitamin B6 and Riboflavin. 
• Most of their calories come from Carbohydrates.
• Water Chestnuts contain a good amount of Antioxidants.
• Water Chestnuts are a great source of Potassium which helps to reduce the risk factors of heart disease such as high blood pressure and strokes.
• Water Chestnuts are made of 74% water, Water rich food can help you lose weight.

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Cuisine - Thai, Southeast Asian
Course - Dessert
Difficulty -Easy
Serves -2-3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10 - 15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes


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HOW TO MAKE RED RUBIES IN COCONUT MILK/TAB TIM GROB

RED RUBIES IN COCONUT MILK - TAB TIM GROB

INGREDIENTS

For Red Rubies:

Water Chestnut - 2 Cups
Red Food Colouring - 20-25 Drops
Tapioca Flour - 1-11/2 Cups

For Red Rubies in Coconut Milk/Tab Tim Grob :

Thick Coconut Milk - 1/2 Cup
Thin Coconut Milk - 1 - 11/2 Cups
Sugar - 1/3 Cup
Salt - a Pinch
Pandan Leaf/Screwpine Leaf - 1 Leaf(optional)

 

METHOD :

For Red Rubies in Coconut Milk - Tab Tim Grob:

• If using fresh Water Chestnuts, peel them with a vegetable peeler. 
• If using canned, simply rinse. 
• Cut each Water Chestnut into very small bite-sized pieces (1/4" cubes).
• Mix 20 -25 drops Red Food Colouring with 2 Tbpsns of  Water.
• Coat the Water Chestnut cubes in the food colouring mixture and keep it aside for a few minutes until they are all evenly Red.
• Add the coloured Water Chestnuts to the Tapioca Flour and mix until each small piece is well coated with the flour.
• Take them out of the Tapioca Flour and then, using a spray bottle, mist them with water and coat them with Tapioca Flour again. 
• Dust off any excess Tapioca flour from the coated Water Chestnuts using a mesh sieve or colander.
• Boil Water in a Saucepan. (Big enough to hold the coated Water Chestnuts).
• Carefully drop the coated Water Chestnuts into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for about 3-4 minutes. 
• Once they float to the surface, they are cooked. 
• Remove and plunge the cooked Water Chestnuts into a pot of ice cold water.
• Drain and keep it aside.

Coconut Milk for Red Rubies in Coconut Milk :

• Add Sugar and a pinch of Salt to the Coconut Milk and mix well.
• Tie up a Pandan Leaf(Screwpine Leaf) and add it into the coconut milk.
• Boil the Coconut Milk on a medium flame for about 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously.
• Lower the flame and boil for another 2-3 minutes.
• Switch off the flame.
• Discard the Pandan Leaf(Screwpine Leaf) from the Coconut Milk.
• Refrigerate the Coconut Milk.

Combining the Ingredients for Red Rubies in Coconut Milk:

• Take a few Red Rubies and place it on a serving plate.
• Pour 3/4 the amount of Chilled Coconut Milk over the Red Rubies.
• Let it sit for about 5-7 Minutes
• Let the Red Rubies absorb the Coconut Milk.
• Drizzle the rest of the Coconut Milk just before serving the Red Rubies in Coconut Milk/Tab Tim Grob.
• Serve Red Rubies in Coconut Milk/Tab Tim Grob chilled.

NOTES :

• Adding a pinch of Salt to the Coconut Milk will enhance the overall taste of the Dessert.
• Adding Pandan Leaf/Screwpine Leaf to the Coconut Milk is truly optional.
• This is a mildly sweet dessert. Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your Sweet Tooth.
• I have used a combination of Thick & Thin Coconut Milk in the recipe(home-made).
• This Dessert should not be very creamy, it should be in a slightly thin consistency.
• Can use Coconut Cream instead of Coconut Milk.
• Adding Food Colour to Water Chestnut is purely optional. Some recipes call for colouring the Chestnuts with Beetroot Juice, yet to try the method.