Split-Pea and Coconut Cream Pudding

Split-Pea and Coconut Cream Pudding (椰汁馬豆糕) is a very popular dessert in Hong Kong. You might get one small platter of this dessert after finishing your dinner at Chinese restaurants. Well, you hardly have it free of charge at the moment, maybe most restaurants have to cut their budgets back.

Many Chinese people like this dessert, especially for little kids. The aroma of coconut milk and soft texture of split peas are very tempting. It could be a perfect party food as well. I use to prepare it one day before. Without any hectic pressure before party, I can enjoy myself.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup split peas
• 1 cup cornflour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 4 cups water

Method:

1. Rinse and drain split peas. Put them in cold water and bring to the boil until soften. Drain well.
2. Mix cornflour with 1 cup of water. Make sure to mix them very well. Set aside.
3. Melt sugar with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Add evaporated milk and coconut cream. When it boils again, gradually stir in cornflour mixture. Keep stirring and cook over low to medium heat. After the mixture boils again, cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Add drained split peas and mix well.
5. Pour the split pea mixture into cup cake moulds or a Pyrex bowl. Let it cool down a bit. Then refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.

Tips:

• After refrigerating, the split pea pudding would become firmer and more tasteful.
• Be cautious when cooking the spit peas. It easily overflows when it boils. You might like to lift up the lid of your pot a bit to avoid this unpleasant accident.

Note:
Use the pure cornflour because you want to produce the perfect texture of this dessert. Picture shown below is the one I used, 100% corn.

Don't use the wheaten cornflour. Google it and you'd know they are two different things.