Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding

Name: Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 4 tbsp water chestnut starch (or tapioca starch); 1/2 cup pandan juice (blend 8 pandan leaves with 1/2 cup water; strain); 2 drops green food coloring (optional, for deeper color); 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for green layer); 1.5 cups water (for green layer); 1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk; 2 tbsp tapioca starch (for coconut topping); 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for coconut topping)

A beloved Thai layered dessert with a firm, vibrantly green pandan-flavored base made from water chestnut starch, topped with a creamy salted coconut milk layer set in silicone molds. Plan ahead: allow 2 hours of chilling time before serving.

60 minMediumServes 6180 cal/serving

ThaiDessertStovetopVeganHalal-friendlyGluten-FreeDairy-FreeEgg-FreeNut-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeNightshade-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

4 tbsp water chestnut starch (or tapioca starch)
1/2 cup pandan juice (blend 8 pandan leaves with 1/2 cup water; strain)
2 drops green food coloring (optional, for deeper color)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for green layer)
1.5 cups water (for green layer)
1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp tapioca starch (for coconut topping)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar (for coconut topping)

Instructions

1

Make the pandan base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 4 tbsp water chestnut starch (or tapioca starch), 1/2 cup pandan juice (blend 8 pandan leaves with 1/2 cup water; strain), 1.5 cups water (for green layer), and 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for green layer) until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
2

Add 2 drops green food coloring (optional, for deeper color) if desired for a deeper green. Remove from heat.
3

Pour the pandan mixture into small silicone cups or a greased mold, filling each about two-thirds full. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes until slightly set.
4

Make the coconut topping: In a separate small saucepan, whisk together 1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk, 2 tbsp tapioca starch (for coconut topping), 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for coconut topping), and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Do not boil.
5

Gently spoon the warm coconut topping over the set pandan base, filling each cup to the top. Work quickly before it solidifies.
6

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set and cold.
7

To unmold, run a thin spatula around the edges and gently pop out. Serve chilled.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Thai Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How much time should I plan for Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding?

As written, 60 minutes: 40 of prep and 20 of cooking. The longest single stretch is the hands-off wait in step 6, 2 hours. That wait sits outside the stated prep and cook times, so plan around it.

How do I know when Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 4: cook until the mixture thickens. Step 6: cook until fully set and cold.

Is there a substitute for pandan in Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding?

The entry for Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding calls for 1/2 cup pandan juice (blend 8 pandan leaves with 1/2 cup water; strain). In its place: A little vanilla extract fills the same aromatic role, though the flavor is different.

How many calories are in Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding?

One serving (the recipe makes 6) is about 180 calories, with 2 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate and 6 g fat, plus 120 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Can I start Tako Pandan Coconut Pudding the day before?

Yes. Step 6 is a built-in pause of 2 hours: "Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set and cold." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 7 when you are ready to finish.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.