Thai Coconut Rice Custard Recipe | Kanom Tuay | ขนมถ้วย

Delicious and easy to make with a balance between a sweet palm sugar flavoured bottom and the salty creamy coconut top.
You will usually see the green of pandan leaf extract used in Kanom tuay but having butterfly pea flowers already in my garden I couldn’t help myself but use them – Warattaya Smith of @loveslittlekitchen

Another ancient Thai dessert which in this instance is traditionally served in a small bowl (“tuay” means “bowl”). This soft jelly like treat is divided into two layers – A top and bottom layer which come together to create a delicious sweet and salty flavour.

Delicious and easy to make with a balance between a sweet palm sugar flavoured bottom and the salty creamy coconut top.

You will usually see the green of pandan leaf extract used in Kanom tuay but having butterfly pea flowers already in my garden I couldn’t help myself but use them.

I love seeing the butterfly pea growing in the garden over summer and when extracted adding a little lemon takes it from blue to purple.

I just love the bluey purple coloured bottom contrasted against the bright white coconutty top. Good Asian grocery stores often have Pandan extract or dried Butterfly Pea flowers that you can make extract out of.

If you are unable to find these colours then you can easily do without as the sweet and salty coconut flavours are what make Kanom Tuay a yummy and loved dessert.

Kanom Tuay can be found around Thailand although not as popular as other treats within markets I tend to find them mostly as a dessert option in restaurants and noodle shops. They can be served either warm,cold or room temperature, I like room temperature.

Ingredients

(Bottom Layer):

• 1 cup. rice flour
• 2 tbsp. arrowroot flour
• 400 g. coconut milk
• 120 g. Butterfly pea extract (Pandan leaf extract-Green is the most common colour)
• 150 g. palm sugar

(Top Layer):

• 400 g. coconut cream
• 6 tbsp. rice flour
• ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Bottom layer. Put the rice flour and arrowroot flour in a medium mixing bowl and blend together by hand or spoon. Then pour about half coconut milk and the palm sugar into the bowl, mixing by hand until well combined and palm sugar dissolves. Mix in the rest of the coconut milk then add the butterfly pea extract, stir and strain the mixture to remove any clumps.
2. Top layer. In another medium mixing bowl add coconut cream, rice flour and salt then stir together until combined (I use a whisk). Strain this mixture to remove any clumps.
3. The steamer. Pour water into the steamer and wait until it boils. Then place all the small bowls inside the steamer for 5 minutes so that the bowls are hot. This will help you remove the dessert from the bowls later when finished.
   *TIP: continue to wipe dry the inside of the steamer lid each time you lift to pour or check as this helps avoid water dropping onto the mixture.
4. Steam the bottom mixture on high heat. Pour the bottom mixture into each serving bowl until they are all about three-quarters full. Steam this mixture for 7 minutes, or until the mixture is firm to the touch.
5. Steam the top mixture on medium to high heat. Pour the top mixture into the serving bowls until they are all completely full. Let this steam for 10 minutes, then remove the bowls from the steamer and wait for them to cool before serving.

You can eat from the bowl with a spoon or remove from the bowl all together and eat by hand.