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!