Last week I was lucky enough to attend a media lunch for the Chiva Som Spa Cuisine cookbook. Thai Chef Paisarn in consultation with Serge Dansereau from Bather’s Pavilion cooked us a delicious four course lunch. The food was light but also flavoursome and I recall thinking “I could quite happily live on this”. Of course living on this also does entail forking out a considerable sum to stay at Chiva Som-and sadly my gold bar supply has been depleted…ok it never existed but I like pretending that I had one.
Chef Paisarn
Apart from the tasty savoury morsels we were also served this dessert. I know the idea of using what is traditionally known as a savoury ingredient (water chestnuts) might seem odd for some but this is sweet, light, gluten free, dairy free and only 50 calories a pop. I am willing to try anything so I popped one of these treats into my mouth and was rewarded with a lovely bite sized dessert. On top was a creamy custard and at the bottom was a slightly crunchy and sweet water chestnut layer.
Chef Paisarn trying to show us how to make the pandan leaf boxes
For those of you unfamiliar with traditional Asian desserts, they are quite different from Western style desserts. For starters wheat flour and dairy items are rarely used. You may find yourself eating sweet beans and in this case, sweetened water chestnuts. However despite the lack of cream and cake, these are often very tasty, especially the desserts where coconut is used (sadly which means that the dessert isn’t quite as low fat as you’d want).
Vegetable Roll
Here are some of the other lovely dishes we had that afternoon but since these were an amalgamation of Serge and Paisarn, the recipes aren’t in the cookbook as they were created just for the event. We started with a crunchy and flavoursome (not to mention pretty) vegetable roll filled with mushrooms and wrapped in cabbage.
Kingfish carpaccio
A delicate but sumptuous Kingfish carpaccio with a sesame and soy vinaigrette gives a distinct Asian and Chinese flavour.
Five spice poached corn fed chicken, eggplant, goat cheese zucchini
Our main was an unusual five spice poached corn fed chicken, eggplant, goat cheese zucchini. The eggplant quenelles were inspired by baba gannoush (eggplant dip) and had a distinct tahini/sesame flavour. The chicken was tenderly poached and the small parcels of goat’s cheese zucchini ribbons were delicious.
Coconut panna cotta
The coconut panna cotta with sesame seed iced macaroon and spiced pineapple is the perfect way to round off the lunch. The macaron is of course Serge’s contribution and the sweet, spiced pineapple is divine (I remember sweet Thai pineapples very fondly!). The black sesame cream looks like ice cream but isn’t particularly frozen or cold and the soft and wobbly coconut panna cotta is perfectly cast as the star of the dish.
So tell me Dear Reader, what do you think of Asian desserts? Have you tried them?
Water Chestnut & Coconut Custard
Energy: 50 calories per piece
Protein: 0.87g
Carbohydrate: 5.54g
Total fat: 3.03g
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 15grams (1/2 oz) mung bean flour
- 4 pandan leaves pureed in 250ml91cup) water to make pandan juice or pandan essence mixed with water
- 50g/1 3/4 oz) water chestnutnuts, cut into small cibes
- 12 pandan leaves made into square packets (optional) you can also use shot glasses or espresso cups
For custard
- 150ml (2/3 cup or 1/4 pint) coconut milk
- 15g (1/2 oz) rice flour
Buyer’s tip: all ingredients can be found at an Asian grocery store
Adding in the honey
The finished water chestnut mix
1. Water Chestnuts: Dissolve honey and mung bean flour in pandan water and add water chesnuts. Transfer to a heavy based wok on a medium low heat and stir constantly (it will become clear). Once thickened, spoon into cups or pandan leaf boxes.
2. Coconut custard: Mix coconut milk and rice flour together, place in a small pan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently until the mixture thickens. Quickly spoons the mixture on top of the prepared water chestnuts (you can use a piping bag for this). Leave to cool and serve.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now? 
NQN on Facebook
RSS
48 Comments | Add your own
YUM! My mother is Indonesian and I LURVE asian desserts.I remember as a child trying to convince my western friends to try them but it was the texture more than the taste and ingredients that put them off.x
I just love Asian desserts! So fascinating and so many new things (for me) to try!
Those are refined dishes and that dessert is magnificent! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Rosa
Love Asian desserts!! Especially anything with shaved ice! Thanks for sharing the Water chestnut & Coconut Custard dessert! As a child I lived in Bangkok for a while and fell in love with this dessert and have been madly trying to track a recipe for it!!
I love these water chestnut and coconut custard. Usually get a box if I make a trip to chinatown. Not too keen on Asian desserts generally. Might try making these one day.
ooooooh!!! i love this dessert!!! remember buying this as a kid at golden mile plaza..
anyway, where’s the specs for the coconut milk and rice flour? it wasnt in your ingredient list?
Now that’s what I call a work of art and a pleasure of the senses. I feel hungry just looking at those pictures, even though I just had my breakie
Yum, very cool looking dessert. I love the little leaf boxes, perfect presentation.
They’re so cute! I do like Asian desserts quite a bit – they’re so different and I always like something a bit different. My fave is definitely mango pudding with lots of condensed milk.
Those parcels look so yummy! Lucky you indeed.
This is one of my favourite Thai dessert and it is really quite easy to make.. maybe I should try to do it and post it on my blog…
Forgot to say that I’m loving this mobile version of your site. I read your blog in the car on my way to work
Love asian desserts, always surprising to see what they’re made of, my favourite has to be a chilled sago and coconut milk soup with little balls of rockmelon. Love how gorgeous all the Chiva Som food looks but being healthy for you as well!
The coconut custard has always been a favourite of mine Lorraine. Thanks for the recipe… now gotta practice shaping them into those cute containers.
I’ve seen a dessert similar to this in Cabramatta. Although, instead of the water chestnut mixture, they use a very smooth and light taro paste. I love how they make the square packets as well. It makes it easy to hold and to take back home to nom on.
I love Asian desserts as they are not overly sweet and subtle. However, I think some can be quite tricky to make.
My eyes lit up when I saw the water custard & coconut dessert in the leaves-made boxes, ah sweet memories!
Maybe because I’m asian, and grew up in an asian setting before moving to Australia.. but I greatly prefer asian desserts over western desserts.
There’s only so much flour and dairy products one can stomach before it all gets a bit too much. Not to mention cream..
But asian desserts are refreshing, cleanses the palate, and never leaves you feeling too heavy. I’ll take that any day!
Mmmmm – looks great. Will have to give this a go!
I havent tried many asian desserts as I usually dont know what they are and am a little scared. I need a bit more education on the best ones to try.
I love this one esp when substitute the waterchestnut to sweet corn
I’m trying really hard to like Asian desserts. I’m having an issue with some of the textures. The desserts I’ve had all have a chewy texture I’m not at all used to.
I love Asian desserts and their use of ingredients that I (as and Italian Australian) wouldn’t normally think of as sweet foods to create something deliciously sweet.
All these asian desserts is making me hungry again. Must try this recipe. Except I am not sure about getting the pandan box right..
I adore, adore, adore any dessert flavoured with black sesame, red bean, or kinako – but my knowledge of Asian desserts is (as you can see) mostly limited to Japanese. The coconut milk soup/chendol/ice kacang things you’ve shown on this blog have yet to be tried by me.
But I’m game!
That’s awesome…i heart asian desserts!!!
but in this post i especially have my eyes on that tiny macaron =P
I love Asian desserts! Right now I’m trying to convince my Mum to make the scrumptious water chestnut cake she used to make when I was younger.
I did an exchange in Japan after school and love Japanese desserts. I don’t have much experience with other Asian desserts as I live in the country now
Oh I love this dessert, i think it’s called “tako” (??). I remember my mum trying to experiment to get this right, glad to have the recipe, yay!
Since I’m Asian, i do like strange dessesrts, but my anglo hubby finds them too weird
i haven’t eaten many asian desserts, but if the majority of them are similar to these custardy delights, i need to hop on board!
bonus points to you for using the word ‘amalgamation.’ i haven’t read or heard it in a long time!
When I lived in the NT we went to this restaurant called Hanumans and they served the most exquisite morsels of asian sweets. If you ever go to Darwin be sure to visit them and pinch their recipes.
I love water chestnut and coconut custard dessert. They are my favourite Thai dessert! The vegetable roll looks gorgeous and that macaron…. *swoon*..
What a great idea for a dessert! Generally speaking, I’m a big fan of Asian desserts. I am still dreaming of the mango sticky rice rolls I had last weekend with my sister during a dim sum fest. Oh man they were so good. In fact, so good that I didn’t have my usual sago pudding!
These look so delicious! I LOVE Asian desserts and water chestnuts. Is there something you can substitute for the pandan puree if you can’t get hold of the leaves or essence?
Briony xx
Pretty! I used to eat these a lot in Thailand, had no idea they were low calorie too, hehe.
lorraine, this looks divine. i was just thinking about water chestnuts in desserts while i was in chinatown yesterday.
so yes, i love asian desserts, but it’s probably because i am asian. the husband also likes asian desserts. i think i’ve trained him well!
I have never tried Asian desserts. Though put custard with almost anything that is soft, and you have got me. I cannot chew crunchy things. Sorry that I have not been commenting, under the weather for a while so stuck at home and in bed a lot. Thanks you for visiting my Blog, Lorraine.
These are so pretty in the pandan leaves! I love coconut and I think it would be amazing paired with water chesnut.
The vegetable roll looks delicious. And the coconut pannacotta to die for.
I am always torn between the two worlds of asian desserts and western desserts! I tend to make more western desserts because mum does such a good job already.
WOW, I am in the thick of writing a Asian recipe book right now, testing and tasting like crazy…this would be perfect for it! Sounds fantastic!
desserts are always the hardest for the western palate, when it comes to Asian cuisine!
Thank you for once again being so informative!
I would love to see a post (in particular – a post by you Lorraine!) on some common Asian desserts and what they are.
I must admit to being a ‘scaredy cat’ when it comes to trying these. I only recently tried coconut sticky rice and mango and fell in love with it! As for shaved ice desserts…..I am still too scared. Can someone explain what all the coloured toppings and jellies might be? Are they all sweet?
Not a big fan, as the majority are too glutinous. After an Asian meal we usually venture elsewhere for coffee and sweets.
I love Asian desserts (though admittedly I like almost anything sweet…). I’ve never actually had this water chestnut/coconut custard dessert, it looks great though.
p.s. Reading this post has given me a huge cendol craving!
I love Asian desserts
I really want to try this! The custard looks so marshmallowy and I love the crunch of water chestnut
Asian desserts are among my very favorite!! I’ve been really obsessed with black sesame lately (in ice cream and buttercream so far) so that panna cotta looks spectacular! I’ve never had water chestnuts except the canned ones in stir fry but I’d love to try them in a dessert, they have such a great crunchy, juicy texture!
Ahh nice nice nice!
I’m asian, but I don’t think I ever tried water chestnut as dessert before.
I love different kinds of sweets from asian cultures, but I was addicted to Taiwanese shredded Ice (雪花冰) !
I love waterchestnuts, but I’ve never head them sweetened. They sound like a good contrast to the custard.
Yummay !!!
Post a Comment