Rau Câu - Vietnamese Jello Cakes, Yes, another thread on Viet food! Options

[XigonCongchua]

So we got a thread on chè (Vietnamese sweet desert soups or puddings) http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=231068

And a thread Vietnamese daily dinners http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=231068

Now here's a thread on rau câu, Vietnamese Jello Cakes


Rau câu is definitely one of my favorite Vietnamese deserts. It is wayyy better than the American jello you usually eat. Well it doesn't taste similar to American jello actually, that's why I never knew the English translation of rau câu was "Vietnamese jello cakes"

So some introduction on rau câu:

Rau câu is a Vietnamese jello cake that is made out of agar agar, which is a seaweed by product similar to gelatin. It's made out of coconut milk, condensed milk and layers of your favorite flavorings like mocha, vanilla, coconut, banana, chocolate and durian (if you're adventurous!).. It has the same texture of pana cotta.

Vietnamese jello cakes are typically very decorative with colorful pictures of flowers and landscapes...making you crave for them even more!

[Potatosalad]

yea I prefer eating this than che because it doesnt have as mch sugar content. you dont want to eat tons of sugar after a a meal.

[Aristotle]

Look too pretty to be eaten. I might feel guilty after chomping down on those.

My mom usually make it the conventional way, no decoration or fancy colors, if there's color it came from the coconut or coffee.

[XigonCongchua]

Here's one recipe for the Pandan flavored Vietnamese Jello


Ingredients

Yields: 6
2 (0.88-ounce) package agar agar powder
6 cups coconut milk
2 1/3 cup superfine sugar, to taste
7 1/3 cups cold water
3/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Tbs pandan paste, to taste
1 Tbs mocha paste, to taste

Preparation

Dissolve the agar agar in water. Pour in a sauce pan then put on the stove over high heat. Constantly stir with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil then immediately lower to medium heat. Keep stiring for an even, smooth texture.

In a different pot, heat the coconut milk, then combine with the agar agar liquid. Add sugar. Then lower the heat. Divide the mixture into 3 bowls. Pour 4 tablespoons of condensed milk in each bowl. Add the pandan paste in one of the 3 bowls and mocha in the second bowl. Leave the third bowl as it is. Stir until the color is even.

Brush each mold with cold water. Pour the bowl with pandan mixture into the mold to form the first layer. Let it cool about 10 degrees. The oil of the coconut milk will form a skin on top. It wil start to gel. Pour the plain coconut mixture as the second layer when the top is a little sticky to the finger but the liquid hasn't reach a gel consistency. Repeat the same procedure with the mocha mixture. It's crucial that you wait enough time in between each layer so that the layers bind together without mixing with each other.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Unmold the jello cake onto a serving plate. It's delicately flavored. Serve with Vietnamese coffee.

Bon appétit!

Tips:
I use the Longevity Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, the one with the picture of a white long-bearded old man. You can easily find it in Asian stores, well at least it's very easy to find it in California.

I buy the Koepoe-koepoe pastes. There are rose, mocha and pandan. If you're adventurous, you can also try the durian paste.

I use the AROY-D coconut milk brand. It has no preservatives and it is very convenient, they sell it in 8.5 oz little package (which is about 1 cup)

Superfine sugar is very convenient for desserts. It's also called caster sugar or baker's sugar. It dissolves more quickly than the regular sugar. I usually use it for liquids.

The end product should have a slightly firmer consistency than panna cotta.

Agar agar powder is a good gelatin substitute for vegans and vegetarians. It is derived from seawood and is cooked the same way you would use gelatin powder. It is widely used in Asia.I also use it to make fruit mousses like my egg-free banana mousse or chestnut mousse. I buy the Thai Telephone Brand, it's sold in 25-gram packages. (F.I.Y 0.88 oz = 25 g)

You can find a lot of pretty flowered shape molds and different sizes that sells for 99 cents at Dai Thanh Asian market on 420 S 2nd St, in San Jose. Well, it's not the prettiest. Don't expect to enter an Asian version of Whole Food, but it has all the fresh Vietnamese produce at a very reasonable price. This is one of the best "ethnic" grocerie store in the area.

[ddha]

These are also called thạch right? Wow, they're so beautiful I can't bear to eat them lol... I should really start to learn to make them. I've always wanted to learn but keep putting it off. I heard it's not difficult to make. You just need to have creativity in order to make beautiful ones like the ones posted above.

[thumbsUp]

When I first saw those I thought they were some sort of plastic decoration thing because they were very pretty and they didn't wiggle like American jellow.
Very stiff. I always wondered how they got the designs to be inside instead of out for the more transparent ones.

[XigonCongchua]

Look too pretty to be eaten. I might feel guilty after chomping down on those.

My mom usually make it the conventional way, no decoration or fancy colors, if there's color it came from the coconut or coffee.

If you buy them on the streets of Vietnam, they will usually be very decorative. But the sellers always have pattern moulds for them so it's not like a hard job.

[Aristotle]

Should order one of those for my mum.

At home, we put it in a square pan-like object then we cut it to even smaller square squares.

Dessert is served.

[XigonCongchua]

These are also called thạch right? Wow, they're so beautiful I can't bear to eat them lol...

I know LOL. When I was little, I always left the flowers out and ate them last because they were too pretty to be eaten.

Btw I think thạch is tougher than rau câu

I should really start to learn to make them. I've always wanted to learn but keep putting it off. I heard it's not difficult to make. You just need to have creativity in order to make beautiful ones like the ones posted above.

Yep

[Potatosalad]

The black jelly..

[XigonCongchua]

Here's a recipe for the simple looking Vietnamese jello cake

Basically the flavors are similar to the one I posted above



Ever wonder what those attractive tri-colored gelatin in Vietnamese deli and banh mi shops were? It's coffee, coconut, and pandan flavored agar, a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. Now don't let that scare you off...agar is vegetarian and an extremely popular ingredient for Asian desserts, including this popular Vietnamese variety. Pandan (pandanus amaryllifolius) is a tropical plant with a jasmine-like aroma and is very commonly used as a flavoring agent in Asian cooking, often steeped in coconut milk. Pandan leaves are often found frozen in Asian groceries, but bottles of flavoring extract can also be found.

He loves the aroma of pandan, I love the boldness and flavor of coffee, and we both love the sweetness of coconut. This dessert is so fun and easy to make and the flavors of coconut, pandan, and coffee work surprisingly well together.



Vietnamese Coffee, Coconut, and Pandan Jelly (Thach Rau Cau) (makes 1 small jelly cake, about 3-4 servings)

1 packet of agar (we use the Telephone brand, found at most Asian markets)
Green food coloring
Vanilla extract
Condensed Milk or Sugar
Pandan extract (or use Pandan leaves, about small handful, tied together in bundle)
1 small 8 oz can of coconut milk
2 tbs of instant coffee (adjust to taste and use any brand or flavor you like)
4 cups of water
Jello mold or baking dish
Have multiple, ideally 3, small saucepans ready. Split the agar packet into thirds for each layer. The amount of condensed milk/sugar is really up to you as some people like this mildly sweet and some really sweet, so adjust according to your tastes.

For the coffee layer, heat about 1.5 cup of water in small pot, add about 1/3 of the agar packet, stir constantly until the agar dissolves. Add 2 tbs of instant coffee, add about 2 tbs of condensed milk or 2 tbs of sugar and a drop of vanilla extract. Taste, adjust condense milk/sugar to your taste and bring to boil. Carefully pour this into your mold. This will slowly set so in the meantime, start the next layer.

For the coconut layer, heat about 1 cup of water and can of coconut milk. Add 1/3 of agar packet and stir constantly. Add about 2 tbs of condensed milk or sugar and then adjust to taste and bring to boil. Before adding to the bottom coffee layer, check to make sure it is not fully set...test with your finger--it should not perforate through but spring back but still slightly sticky. You don't want it too soft or else the coconut will just mix with the coffee. Conversely, you do not want it to completely harden or else the layers will slide apart when cut. Carefully ladle on the coconut layer to the slightly hardened, but sticky coffee layer.

Finally, for the pandan layer, heat about 1.5 cup of water, the rest of the agar packet, 1 tbs of pandan extract (if using pandan leaves, tie in bundle with twine and remove at last minute), 2 tbs of condensed milk or sugar, and a drop of vanilla extract and 2 drops of green food color. Stir constantly and adjust to taste and bring to boil. Now you're ready to add the final layer. Again, before adding this layer, check to make sure the coconut layer is slightly hard and still sticky to the touch and then carefully ladle this on.

Let the jelly cool at room temperature or refrigerate to quicken the process (around 10 min-the thinner and larger surface area, the quicker it will set) and enjoy!

[Aristotle]

The black jelly..

I could go for one of those right now.

[XigonCongchua]

The black jelly..

Are they "sương sáu"? I don't like sương sáu.

[Kaosq]

Ohh, I love this stuff. It's way better than jello. My mom makes the best rau câu.

[Potatosalad]

Are they "sương sáu"? I don't like sương sáu.

yea. used to like the green ones now I prefer this. add milk , a little bit of sugar, mix them up , voila!

[XigonCongchua]

yea. used to like the green ones now I prefer this. add milk , a little bit of sugar, mix them up , voila!

Eh I still don't like sương sáu. I prefer sương sâm (the green one) much more.

[Kaosq]

So we got a thread on chè (Vietnamese sweet desert soups or puddings) http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=231068

And a thread Vietnamese daily dinners http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=231068

Now here's a thread on rau câu, Vietnamese Jello Cakes


Rau câu is definitely one of my favorite Vietnamese deserts. It is wayyy better than the American jello you usually eat. Well it doesn't taste similar to American jello actually, that's why I never knew the English translation of rau câu was "Vietnamese jello cakes"

So some introduction on rau câu:

Rau câu is a Vietnamese jello cake that is made out of agar agar, which is a seaweed by product similar to gelatin. It's made out of coconut milk, condensed milk and layers of your favorite flavorings like mocha, vanilla, coconut, banana, chocolate and durian (if you're adventurous!).. It has the same texture of pana cotta.

Vietnamese jello cakes are typically very decorative with colorful pictures of flowers and landscapes...making you crave for them even more!

Dang, these look nice and are tasty too. Sweeeet.

[XigonCongchua]

Jello cakes enwrapping fruits


Too bad I don't have this recipe in English

http://www.vnexpress.net/GL/Doi-song/Noi-t...05/07/3B9DFC6B/

Rau câu trái cây là món tráng miệng ngon, dễ làm. Bạn có thể thực hiện theo hướng dẫn sau.

Nguyên liệu:

- Rau câu (agar): 20 g

- Đường kính: 400 g

- Hoa quả các loại: nhãn tươi, mít chín, mãng cầu xiêm, lê, sầu riêng.

Thực hiện:

- Chuẩn bị khuôn nhôm hoặc nhựa có chia nhiều ngăn nhỏ (loại khuôn dùng làm nước đá viên trong tủ lạnh).

- Phân lượng thông thường là 10g bột rau câu (agar) + 900g nước sẽ cho 1 kg rau câu. Nên đổ thử, gia giảm trong khoảng 100g - 200g, nước hoặc hơn cho mỗi 10g rau câu) + 200g đường.

- Ngâm bột rau câu trong nước cho đến khi tan. Bắc lên bếp, nấu sôi, cho đường vào, để tan đường. Nhỏ lửa, giữ nóng rau câu trên bếp trong khi chế biến.

- Tùy ý chọn một hay nhiều loại trái cây để làm: nhãn lột vỏ, bỏ hột; mít, sầu riêng, mãng cầu xiêm... gỡ lấy múi, bỏ hột, cắt miếng vừa; lê cắt miếng nhỏ... cho trái cây vào 1/3 mỗi ngăn nhỏ của khuôn, đổ rau câu vào đầy khuôn. Để nguội cho đến khi rau câu đông lại. Ướp lạnh rồi lóc từng miếng ra khỏi khuôn.

Cách 2:

- Chuẩn bị khuôn tương tự như cách 1 hoặc khuôn nhôm vuông, chữ nhật phẳng, có thành cao chừng 3cm. Hoặc khuôn nhựa hoa văn chuyên dùng.

- Xay các loại trái cây từng loại hay nhiều loại hỗn hợp. Phân lượng trung bình là một phần trái cây + hai phần nước. Tùy thích lược lại qua túi vải lấy nước trong, bỏ xác. Nếu có máy ép trái cây, có thể dùng nước ép trái cây nguyên chất.

- Giảm lượng hỗn hợp rau câu + nước đường xuống còn: 10g rau câu + 500g nước + 150g đường. Nấu như cách trên.

- Sau khi nấu, cho vào khoảng 400g nước trái cây, để sôi nhỏ lửa lại trong 1 - 2 phút. Đổ rau câu vào khuôn. Nếu dùng khuôn phẳng, đổ một lớp dày khoảng 3cm, để nguội, ướp lạnh, trước khi ăn cắt miếng nhỏ. Tùy loại trái cây chua ngọt để gia giảm đường hoặc tùy ý tăng lượng rau câu bột lên cho rau câu cứng hơn. Lưu ý, luôn giữ nhỏ lửa, giữ nóng rau câu trên bếp trong khi chế biến.

[XigonCongchua]

BTW we need to distinguish these terms

Rau câu
Sương sa
Sương sáo
Sương sâm
Thạch
Đông Sương


From wikipedia, thạch is an umbrella term for sương sa, sương sáo, and sương sâm

According to daxas đông sương is the same as rau câu, but when I googled it somebody said đông sương is different from rau câu

[nadaa]

they look so pretty and delicious