Ever since I set out to discover traditional plant-based dishes from around the world, I’ve been surprised by how many naturally vegan options of popular everyday foods have long existed around us.
Take pudding, for example. To me, it’s something that would most certainly contain some form of dairy, be it milk or cream, along with some animal gelatin. Never would I have thought that there are traditional puddings out there that are made without either. Tembleque is the perfect example.
The word ‘tembleque’ translates to wobbly, which does a good job of describing the visual texture, but doesn’t do justice to the velvety and creamy consistency of the dessert.
Tembleque revolves entirely around coconut milk. Besides that, it is only sweetened with sugar and dusted with cinnamon. With such few ingredients, only homemade coconut milk would be considered flavoursome enough to use for this dessert. If you can get your hands on a raw coconut, the process of making the milk will make you appreciate the effort and flavour of the dessert much more. But you can also use frozen peeled coconut pieces (same weight) or even ready-made coconut milk for a very easy dessert.
serves 4
Ingredients
-
1 raw coconut (or 400 ml coconut milk)
-
30g cornstarch
-
1/4 tsp salt
-
1 pinch ground cinnamon
Method
If you’re using a raw coconut, start by making the coconut milk. Use a screwdriver to poke a hole into the soft eye of the coconut and drain the water (you can drink this). Then hold the coconut over a bowl and use a hammer or the back of a steady knife to knock firmly onto the centre of the shell, turning the coconut to go around the equator. After a few firm hits a crack will appear (you will also notice the sound change) and you can carefully open it to catch any remaining coconut water in the bowl. Use a blunt butter knife to wiggle loose the flesh from the shell (patience, you’ll need to go all around the coconut a few times before it pops loose), then use a vegetable peeler to peel off the brown skin. Weigh the coconut flesh, you want around 200 – 300g. Roughly chop it and add to a blender along with double the weight in water (400-600 ml). Blend into a creamy consistency, then strain through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth. You can store the milk for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Leftover Tip #1: Spread out the leftover coconut pulp on a baking tray and dehydrate it in the oven (at 80°C) or in the sun until completely dry. Then grind it for your own coconut flour.
Leftover Tip #2: You can use the leftover shell without the hole as a makeshift bowl. Place it onto a gas hob an turn on the flame to burn off any fibres. Then use some sandpaper to smoothen it all around. Give it a few coatings of flaxseed oil before letting it dry and using the shell as a bowl.
To make the Tembleque, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk until you have a smooth slurry. Then whisk in the remaining coconut milk. Bring all of the liquid to a gentle boil while stirring constantly. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until it has thickened. Turn off the heat and divide the mixture over 4 small bowls or moulds. Let it cool off slightly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it firm up.
Loosen the Tembleque with a knife or spoon and tip it out onto a plate. Then dust each Tembleque with cinnamon and serve.
Storage: You can keep the cooked Tembleque for 2-3 days in the fridge.
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Tembleque (Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 raw coconut (or 400 ml coconut milk)
- 75 g golden granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Instructions
- If you’re using a raw coconut, start by making the coconut milk. Use a screwdriver to poke a hole into the soft eye of the coconut and drain the water (you can drink this). Then hold the coconut over a bowl and use a hammer or the back of a steady knife to knock firmly onto the centre of the shell, turning the coconut to go around the equator. After a few firm hits a crack will appear (you will also notice the sound change) and you can carefully open it to catch any remaining coconut water in the bowl. Use a blunt butter knife to wiggle loose the flesh from the shell (patience, you’ll need to go all around the coconut a few times before it pops loose), then use a vegetable peeler to peel off the brown skin. Weigh the coconut flesh, you want around 200 - 300g. Roughly chop it and add to a blender along with double the weight in water (400-600 ml). Blend into a creamy consistency, then strain through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth. You can store the milk for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Leftover Tip #1: Spread out the leftover coconut pulp on a baking tray and dehydrate it in the oven (at 80°C) or in the sun until completely dry. Then grind it for your own coconut flour.
- Leftover Tip #2: You can use the leftover shell without the hole as a makeshift bowl. Place it onto a gas hob an turn on the flame to burn off any fibres. Then use some sandpaper to smoothen it all around. Give it a few coatings of flaxseed oil before letting it dry and using the shell as a bowl.
- To make the Tembleque, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk until you have a smooth slurry. Then whisk in the remaining coconut milk. Bring all of the liquid to a gentle boil while stirring constantly. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until it has thickened. Turn off the heat and divide the mixture over 4 small bowls or moulds. Let it cool off slightly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it firm up.
- Loosen the Tembleque with a knife or spoon and tip it out onto a plate. Then dust each Tembleque with cinnamon and serve.
Comment *
Fácil, rico y nutritivo 👍🏼🌱👌
Gracias por compartir
Un saludo desde Playa del Carmen México
Víctor
Igual soy 👨🍳
Thank you so much! 🙂