Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Have you ever had the little bowls of mango puddings, doused with evaporated milk, served at dim sum restaurants? Well, here's a recipe for that pudding.
Shaped in a festive Asian carp!
I purchased this fish jello mold (or buy it online at walmart--it's a bit cheaper) last year to make a fish shaped mango pudding for my condo-mates at Whistler mountain to ring in the Chinese New Year (CNY). I have to say that it's been a pretty good investment for me because I've used the mold now at least a dozen times to make mango pudding for various CNY gatherings and parties. And I'm using it again for this year's CNY parties!
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| This is the fish mold. A 9.5 x 5.5 inch loaf pan holds this mold nicely upright while the pudding sets in the fridge |
The mold holds exactly 2 cups of liquid, so I adapted a mango pudding recipe from my friend Karen to reduce the volume, and make the pudding firmer and easier to unmold in one piece. The original recipe also calls for whipped whipping cream to make the dessert really light, but it won't unmold properly if you whip the whipping cream. I also found that whipping cream substitutes such as half and half works, as well as coconut milk for those that are lactose intolerant.
If you don't have the fish mold, you can pour them into 4 small ramekins or bowls, but I guarantee you will get "Oh's" and "Ah's" if you present it as a mango fish!
Recipe adapted from my friend Karen S.
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatine (1 envelope = 2.5 t)
- 2 T sugar
- 1 c Kesar Mango pulp, sweetened (available in a 30 oz can** at Indian groceries stores, make sure the pulp ingredients don’t list water)
- ½ c boiling water
- 1/3 c heavy cream, or half and half, or whole milk, or full fat coconut milk
Procedures:
1. In a bowl combine sugar and gelatine and mix with a spoon. (This helps to reduce clumps when you pour in the boiling water.)
2. Pour boiling water into gelatine sugar mixture and mix with a spoon until all the gelatine has dissolved.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the mango pulp with the cream or milk until thoroughly combined. (This helps with not having curdles of milk.) **If you purchased a 30oz can of mango pulp like I did, the can yields a little over 3 cups of mango pulp, and you will only be using one cup in this recipe. I parcel out the other 2 cups into 2 separate tupperwares, label and freeze them for making mango pudding next time.
4. Pour the mango pulp and milk mixture into the dissolved gelatine-sugar mixture and mix with a spoon until everything is combined.
5. Using a paper towel, rub a very very thin layer of vegetable oil (or any neutral flavored oil) on the surface of the fish mold. Make sure all the fins and scales and tail have a light coating of oil. The oil should be just enough to make the mold shine. There should be no oil droplets. Rest the mold onto a large loaf pan such that the mold is standing upright and level.
6. Carefully pour the mango pudding mixture into the mold. Transfer the mold to the fridge and chill for 2 to 3 hours until the pudding is set. When the pudding has set, cover with saran wrap until ready to unmold and serve.
7. To unmold, carefully loosen all around the edges with a butter knife. Place a flat plate over the mango pudding, flip upside down so the plate is on the bottom, and press the mold until the fish is released.