Agar-agar with layers of patriotism

LAYERED agar-agar traditionally alternates white santan layers with brown palm sugar agar-agar.

These days they can be quite spectacular sights, especially when colourful layers alternate with the white santan (coconut milk).

This dessert can be tricky to master because of the need to properly gauge the time needed to set each layer.

Pour in too early and the lower layer may merge with the new because it’s not set enough. Pour too late, and the new layer may not grip on a surface that has set too stiff.

Although you can use the refrigerator and take the pan in and out throughout the process, one of the best ways to keep an eye on the jelly is to orchestrate an ice/hot bath setup.

It sounds quite complicated but is actually quite simple to accomplish, and it ensures that you can keep the cold and hot elements separate.

If you have a rectangular serving pan that can fit two large bowls, you just need to place that on the stove to heat some water to a bare simmer. Otherwise, just use two separate pots, like a double boiler.

Display your patriotic spirit with layered agar-agar. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT/The Star

The ice bath is simply iced water in any tray in which you can fit your baking pan.

This recipe makes an agar-agar with exactly 12 layers, alternating between colour and white, which makes it ideal for a Merdeka-themed dessert.

As usual, I’ve opted for natural colours so I’m using butterfly pea flower for blue, mango for yellow and pomegranate for red.

Unfortunately, the red was a bit pale, and I should have stuck to dragon fruit as I did for the badak berendam a few weeks ago.

I use two measuring cups so that the coconut jelly does not mix with the clear jelly.

I measure exactly 200ml for each layer before stirring in the coloured fruit or tea. I would advise no more than three tablespoons so that you do not dilute the jelly too much.

At the start of the process, the baking pan will tend to float, so be careful about swirling the pan too much or the jelly will ride up along the sides of the pan and set unevenly.

After a few pours, the greater volume of jelly will help weigh down the pan and stabilise its level. After pouring the final layer, the whole pan of jelly can be refrigerated and allowed to set for at least two hours.

When turning out of the pan, slide a knife along the sides to release the jelly from the mould.

Turn the pan over onto a cutting board and wipe the bottom of the pan with a hot towel.

When you hear the jelly drop onto the cutting board, remove the pan and trim off the edges to reveal the clean layers of the agar-agar.

Agar-agar Merdeka

Clear jelly

10g agar-agar powder

1,200ml cold water

200g granulated sugar

5 pandan leaves, knotted

Coconut jelly

10g agar-agar powder

400ml coconut milk

800ml cold water

200g granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

5 pandan leaves, knotted

Colour layers

150g pomegranate or dragon fruit, blended into a puree

150g mango, blended into a pulp

10g butterfly pea flower, steeped with 1 cup hot water

Directions

Prepare all the colour components and place them into individual cups.

Prepare a hot bath with water in a deep rectangular metal pan that can fit two large bowls, heated over the stove to a bare simmer.

Prepare an ice bath with iced water in a deep rectangular pan that can fit a 22cm by 22cm square baking pan.

For the clear jelly, place water, sugar, agar-agar powder and pandan leaves into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about one minute until the pandan fragrance emerges.

Turn off the heat and discard the pandan leaves then strain into a bowl. Place the bowl into the hot bath to keep the clear jelly warm.

For the coconut jelly, place coconut milk, water, pandan leaves, salt, sugar and agar-agar powder into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for one minute until the pandan fragrance emerges.

Turn off the heat, discard the leaves, then strain into a bowl. Place the bowl into the hot bath to keep both mixtures warm.

To assemble the 12 layers of jelly, start with coconut, then red, coconut, red, coconut, red, coconut, blue, coconut, yellow, coconut, and finally blue.

Measure 200ml of coconut jelly and pour into the baking pan. Leave it to set slightly in the ice bath but not harden.

Test the surface with your finger to lightly feel that it is still a little sticky to touch.

For the second layer, measure 200ml of clear jelly and add two to three tablespoons of colorant until it reaches the desired tone, stirring to evenly disperse the colour.

Gently pour the coloured mixture over the coconut layer. Allow it to set slightly in the ice bath but not harden.

Repeat the alternating layers until all 12 layers are completed, ending with blue, and refrigerate for at least two hours to set.

Turn it out of the pan, cut into cubes and serve.