Guava Green Tea with Coconut Jelly

On the heels of my Green Tea Jello post this past weekend, comes Guava Green Tea with Coconut Jelly.  Tina, a London-based blogger at The Worktop, dropped me a line the other day wondering if I might have a recipe for Coconut Jelly, the kind you get at boba tea houses sitting at the bottom of your drink.  Coconut Jelly is also one of my hubby’s favorite things to add to his boba drinks, so as the days grow hotter I thought this might be a recipe that you would enjoy as well!

If you’ve been to a boba tea house, jellies are just another option for those who may not want boba tapioca balls in their tea.  To set up the coconut juice and milk, I use agar, a seaweed based gelling ingredient also called kanten in Japanese.  Unlike gelatin, agar is completely plant-based and vegan-friendly.  What’s also great about agar is that it actually sets up at room temperature in much less time than gelatin does, which makes it perfect for warm weather drinks.

I like to lighten up the jelly by using a greater amount of coconut water than coconut milk and by adding a good squeeze of lime juice as well.  This also makes the jelly a naturally harmonious pairing with fruity teas.  If you want even more coconut flavor and have a hammer and some arm strength, crack open a fresh coconut and grate some of coconut meat.  Cut the grated coconut into even smaller bits using a chef’s knife, then throw them into the liquid to boil along with the rest of the ingredients.  And if you want richer flavor, you can switch up the proportions of coconut water and coconut milk (i.e. 1 cup coconut milk to 1/2 cup coconut water).

Thanks again to Tina of The Worktop for inspiring me to make this Guava Green Tea with Coconut Jelly recipe!  Simple and refreshing, there’s no better way to get ready for the summer heat!

Guava Green Tea with Coconut Jelly

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

{Coconut Jelly}

1 cup coconut water

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp agar flakes

{Guava Green Tea}

4 cups guava nectar, chilled

4 cups green tea, chilled

Equipment:

medium pot

9×9 baking dish

drinking glasses

fat straws

Directions:

1.)  Throw all of the ingredients (except the nectar and tea) into a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Right when the mixture reaches a full-boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until the agar flakes have dissolved.

2.)  Pour the hot mixture into the baking dish, then place in the fridge to set (this should take about 15-20 minutes).  You can also just leave the mixture to set at room temperature.

3.)  After the jelly has set, cut it into little square bits (think the size of small peas), small enough to fit through a boba straw.  If you are uncertain, try cutting a piece to make sure it fits through the straw, then follow cutting the rest of the coconut jelly the same size.  Coconut jelly isn’t round like boba are, so they need to be cut into smaller pieces to fit through the straw.

4.)  To make the Guava Green Tea, place 3 Tbsp of the cut coconut jelly in a glass.  Fill the glass half full with chilled guava nectar, then top off with chilled green tea.  Add ice to the tea if you prefer, and don’t forget a fat straw to finish!

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simplydelish

Where can I find the agar flakes? Looks like a great recipe, I’m a big fan of both guava and green tea, not to mention the coconut of course!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Hey there! So I actually got my agar at a Whole Foods in the Asian section. Otherwise you could get it at a well-stocked Asian market where it sometimes comes in powder or stick form (it’s easiest to use the flake or powder form). Hope this helps! 🙂

Reply
shootingvienna

Oh such a great idea, good that Tina asked you to make coco jelly 🙂 I used to work at a bubble tea shop but since a lot of them closed down in Vienna it is not that easy to find tasty bubble tea. Definitely on my to-do list when its warmer 🙂

Reply
Bonnie Eng

They closed down!? What a bummer! Does Vienna have a sizable Asian population? The jelly is super simple to make–let me how it turns out if you get the chance to try it! =)

Reply
shootingvienna

We do but because of the bubble tea hype the media put a very bad image on bubble tea and stated without proof that it can lead to cancer and whatnot but also other problems so that’s that but at least there is one shop left I like when my cravings hit 🙂 I will! If I don’t mess up (or forget to make pictures) I’ll make a blog post and link back to your recipe if that is fine with you! 🙂

Reply
Bonnie Eng

That would be so cool Beatrice! Where my parents live there are tons os boba shops. I’ve never heard of those rumors…I will have to do some research!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thanks so much Sadia! Indeed, very summery…must brace ourselves for the scorching heat that’s sure to come!! 😛 Agar is so much more interesting than gelatin is…glad I finally featured it in one of my recipes! =)

Reply
Monica

I’m learning a lot and this is a great recipe! You know we always enjoy these jellies at dessert houses but I never thought about being able to make it myself. The drink looks so pretty too.

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thanks Monica! Agar is a really neat ingredient to use. In my opinion, it’s a much better ingredient than gelatin is–easier to use and vegetable based. If you don’t want to cut it into bits for a drink, you can actually pour the mixture into 2 small cups and actually serve the jellies as a light dessert.

I love pinkish drinks, so I’m glad the pink color of the quava nectar wasn’t muddled by the green tea. I think the orchid makes the drink look distinctly feminine. That being said, my hubby absolutely loved the drink! 😉

Reply
Jessica

First, thank you for posting this! I think I might have done something wrong when making the jelly. Mine did not seem to get hard enough and the coconut milk separated into two layers once it settled. Any suggestions?

Reply
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