Project Food Blog Challenge 4: SweetWater Pumpkin Dessert Recipe

It's true!  Spicy Green Mango is dishing up a dessert to tickle your sweet fancies for Project Food Blog's Challenge 4 where I've been tasked with creating a step-by-step photo tutorial of an amazing recipe. Thank you SO MUCH to all of you who've voted thus far and I am baffled by all your wonderful comments. Voting for Challenge 4 begins on October 11 and ends October 14 at 6pm (PST), so vote here and click on my PFB widget!

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The air is beginning to feel a bit more brisk just as the deep crimson leaves that once adorned my Japanese maple tree only a few months back begin to fall, blanketing my lawn with a quilt of autumn foliage . The sight of leaves turning fiery shades of amber, orange and red are in one word:  breathtaking!  I've realized just how much I've become entranced with the autumn season; it's Mother Nature's way of telling me to trade in my baskets of sweet, sun-ripened strawberries for her golden, sun-kissed pumpkins that are waiting to be harvested.  And ultimately, it also means welcoming another family of seasonal fruits and vegetables into my home. 

For this round of Project Food Blog, I was asked to create a mouth-watering recipe pictorial of my choice.  To celebrate my love for the changing season, I wanted to select an ingredient that was truly in touch with this time of year, but one that would also pay homage to my Southeast Asian heritage.  So, how could I possibly go wrong with...PUMPKINS!  And the recipe? Well, the literal translation is essentially SweetWater Pumpkin {naam waan maak euh in Lao) -- a special treat from my sweet tooth to yours. 

And the best part? There's only 4 main ingredients:

• Coconut Milk
• Sugar/Kabocha Pumpkins
• Water Chestnut Gems
• Tapioca Pearls

It begins with a smooth coconut milk broth that's been sweetened and simmered to provide the perfect playground for my SweetWater Pumpkin dessert to perform a richly refreshing dance on my taste buds.  Wait!  Rich and refreshing? Hmm...is this even possible, you ask? Why, yes, of course! I chose to add in water chestnut gems which really gave it that refreshing crunch, while the combinations of Sugar & Kobocha pumpkins added a nice layer of richness that elevated my entire dessert experience.  And then it all comes together with the silkiness of the dainty tapioca pearls.  Mmm...yum!  Are you ready to see how I did it? Well, wonder no more.

TIPS before you BEGIN:

Each ingredient of this dessert can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.  The trickiest part is the preparation for each, but I promise you that it is soo worth it.  It's the best way to end a great dinner or simply for enjoying all on its own.  If you don't include any of the water chestnut gems, you can definitely serve this warm, but if you do choose to include the chestnuts, then serve it chilled.  Otherwise, enjoy!

STEP 1:  Simmer the Coconut Milk
Essentials:

• 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar

How-To:  Combine all ingredients and simmer in a pot over medium flame for about 30-45 minutes*.  Remove from heat, let cool and set aside. 
* If you wish, you can skim the top of the coconut milk and remove any floating coconut particles. 




STEP 2:  Prepare the Pumpkins
I chose 2 types of pumpkins: Sugar and Kobocha pumpkins, but you can choose whatever pumpkin you wish and it doesn't have to be 2 kinds--I was just experimenting with both. 

Essentials:

• Half of a small to medium-sized pumpkin
• 1 tsp of white limestone paste
• 8 cups water (4 cups for soaking pumpkins and 4 cups for boiling)
• 1 sturdy knife 

The Sugar Pumpkin:  Rumor has it that these sugary little darlings are great for pies and baked goods, so I naturally gravitated to them on my recent trip to the pumpkin patch, which I will definitely be blogging about soon!   They are easy to handle, their skins isn't as tough as the Kabochas, but when it came down to the taste test, they were a bit bland in my book (but maybe that's because I didn't rub any sugar, which usually is the case if you use them for pies and other desserts).  But I've fallen in love with their color and the texture is silky and smooth.

How-To:  Seeding/Prepping the Pumpkins

• Prepare a pot of 4 cups of boiling water
• Using your hands, scoop out the seeds and set aside (you can sprinkle them w/salt & roast them for a snack later)
• Use a spoon to scrape  the remainder of the flesh, leaving a smooth interior
• Cut the pumpkin into wedges so they can be easily peeled
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from each wedge -- I realized later that this step was missing in my photos, so I made sure to include it with my Kabocha preparation!
• Dice the pumpkins into bite-sized pieces
• * Dissolve 1 tsp of white limestone paste in 4 cups of water. Strain the mixture through a sieve (discarding any clumps of limestone) and use the water to soak the pumpkins for about 20 minutes 
• Place pumpkins in boiling water and cook until they are tender to the bite (10-15 minutes)

* As with most Thai/Lao dessert recipes, using limestone paste is the secret to making sure that your pumpkins do not become one goopy mess when you boil them b/c the paste individually binds each pumpkin chunk so that they retain their shape throughout the cooking process & when it's incorporated into the SweetWater.  Cool, eh?

 

 

Based on my mother's recommendation, I also opted for Kabocha Pumpkins as well, and my oh my, they are delish!  Once cooked, kobochas impart a rich, buttery flavor that can't be beat.  Not only that, but the green skin of this pumpkin coupled with its golden flesh is just mesmerizing.  I'm such a sucker for color!

 

STEP 3:  Crafting the Water Chestnut Gems

Essentials:

• Half can water chestnuts, diced
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
• 3 cups of water
• Food Coloring (liquid form): 
• Purple Gems:  The ratio of drops to produce purple is 3 Red: 2 Blue
• Orange Gems:  The ratio of drops to produce orange is 3 Yellow: 2 Red

How-To:  Water chestnuts are crunchy and refreshing and once they're cooked with the tapioca flour, that's when the magic happens.  The shiny (sparkly) sheen from the translucent tapioca shell makes them resemble little gems and will keep your guests swooning for more. I decided that I wanted to make purple and orange water chestnut gems. 

• Bring water to a boil. Place diced water chestnuts into a mixing bowl. Combine food coloring for desired color. Toss the colored water chestnut pieces with the tapioca flour
• Shake off any excess flour and drop the water chestnut pieces into the boiling water. Give it a good stir and cook until the pieces float to the surface or until starch is translucent. Remove from pot and soak in ice water, then drain well

STEP 4:  Tending to the Tapioca Pearls

Essentials:

• 1 and 1/2 cups of extra small tapioca pearls, soaked for 40 minutes
• 4 cups water

How-To: Smooth and silky, these little pearls roll off your tongue and really enhance the overall texture of the dessert.  Bring the water to a boil and pour in the soaked tapioca and cook for about 2 minutes or until pearls are translucent.  Since they have been soaked, this will reduce their cooking time tremendously.  Remove from pot and soak in ice water, then drain well.

 

And after everything is prepped, mixed and done, what you've just created is really nothing short of fabulous and decadent.