Konjac pearl pudding

Name: Konjac pearl pudding
Ingredients: 250 ml cold water; 1000 ml water for steeping; 1 packet konjac pearls; 150 ml milk; 2 gelatin sheets; 100 g berries

Dessert - Konjac pearl pudding by Varvara C. - Recipia

Konjac pearl pudding sets with milk and gelatin, then is served turned out, with the Japanese pearls on show. I found these tapioca-like pearls at an organic shop in France, bought them and made the pudding; I like turning it out of the bowl alongside berries. Prep: 5 minutes. Cook: 6 minutes. Rest: 3 hours and 10 minutes. Total: 3 hours and 21 minutes. Servings: 2. About 80 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

250 ml cold water
1000 ml water for steeping
1 packet konjac pearls
150 ml milk
2 gelatin sheets
100 g berries

Preparation

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in 250 ml cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and gently squeeze them. 2. Boil 1000 ml water in a kettle, about 4 minutes, until bubbling. Pour the water into a heatproof bowl, then submerge the small, still-sealed packet of pearls and hold it under the water with a spoon for 5 minutes. 3. Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat for 2 minutes, until steaming. Carefully take the packet out of the water, open it and tip the pearls into the milk. 4. Take the saucepan off the heat, add the gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Divide the mixture between two bowls, taking about 5 minutes, and refrigerate for 3 hours, until set. Turn out the puddings and serve them with the berries.

Notes

I had run out of agar-agar, so I heated the mixture briefly; for a version without animal gelatin, use 1 g agar-agar and boil it in the milk for one minute. The pearls are already sweet, so the pudding doesn't need sugar. The milk is dairy, and the gelatin sheets are animal-derived. Japanese konjac pearls are like tapioca, but they aren't cooked the same way; look for the small packet inside the larger package, not dried tapioca pearls. If the center is still firm after soaking, leave the packet in the hot water for another 2 minutes and check that the pearls have swollen all the way through. When serving, put whole berries next to each portion; their contrast works well with the soft pearls. Covered, they keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the portions can be made a day ahead.