Have you ever cooked a Hawaiian recipe? Well, here is your chance because Haupia requires only three ingredients that are very easy to find wherever you are, so you do not need to look for rare ingredients typical of very, very distant latitudes. It is similar to pannacotta and also to fried milk, only it does not use gelatin like the first nor is it fried like the second. Instead of cow's milk, it uses coconut milk, which should not be confused with coconut water. Coconut water is the colorless liquid, with characteristics very similar to physiological saline and slightly laxative, which keeps the berry in the center. Coconut milk has an appearance similar to milk of animal origin, obtaining the same by extruding the whitish pulp of the fruit.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 400 grams (14 oz) of coconut milk (you can easily find it in any supermarket)
- 5 level tablespoons cornstarch
- 5 level tablespoons sugar
- 150 ml (0.6 cups) of water
Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan over medium heat. While heating, in a bowl we mix the cornstarch with the sugar and then add the water, beating with the rods until the dry ingredients are well dissolved.
When the coconut milk begins to boil, add the mixture of water, cornstarch and sugar, beating with the whisk until the mixture thickens and looks somewhat translucent. Until this happens it may take about 10 minutes. When should we stop whisking? When passing the rods through the bottom, a "channel" is formed that divides the dough in two and takes a few seconds to occupy it again. Then is the time to stop.
Once this happens, pour it into a source that is large enough to make the dough grow to a thickness of approximately 1 centimeter (half an inch) . It can be any type of source because it will not go into the oven, although it is preferable that it be rectangular.
We let the dough cool down to room temperature and then we take it to the refrigerator where we will have to let it rest for at least 4 hours (or until the moment it is solidified and with a gelatinous texture). When this happens we can turn it over to unmold or cut it directly into squares, which is the way it is usually served. It can also be left to cool in individual cups or molds.
With the haupia many atrocities are made: cakes are filled, it is associated with chocolate or jams, but if you do something like this, the mild flavor of the coconut is lost, so the best thing is to make the traditional recipe (which is this one that I have described) to appreciate it much better.
If you like the flavor of coconut, in addition to light, sweet and refreshing desserts, you will love haupia.
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