KONNYAKU JELLY

RECIPE FOR KONNYAKU JELLY
Source: Adapted and modified from Smartfoods for tweens (by Anna Jacobs and Ng Hooi Lin)


Makes: 18 jellies
Ingredients:
5g Konnyaku jelly powder (Jim Willie or any brand) (refer note 1)
500ml freshly extracted apple juice (refer note 2)
120g mixture of fresh fruits (I used fresh blueberries and strawberries) – refer to note 3
60g/ 4 tbsp sugar (optional)


Methods:

1. Wash and rinse fresh fruits. Pat dry and cut into pieces (if needed).
2. Prepare jelly moulds.
3. Arrange equal portion of fruits in mould. Set aside in the fridge.
4. Mix sugar and Konnyaku powder in a small bowl.
5. Pour apple juice in a saucepan and turn on the heat. Slowly add in item in step (4), and stir to dissolve sugar and Konnyaku powder. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until the bubbles disappear. Transfer to a pouring jug.
6. Fill moulds with Konnyaku mixture by starting with 1/3 full. Then follow by another 2/3. Set aside to cool before refrigerating to chill and set. It takes about 3 hours. Best to leave it overnight. Remove the jelly from the mould before serving.

Notes:

1. If you are using brand other than Jim Willie, please adjust according to amount stated in the packet. Otherwise, the jelly will not coagulate.
2. For shortcut, you can opt for fresh fruit juice sold in the supermarket. I used Marigold peel fresh apple juice (with no sugar added).
3. The amount stated for fruits is just an estimate. You can try any type and combination of fresh fruits for this recipe such as mango, all kinds of berries, peach and kiwi. Canned fruits can be used as a subsitute. If so, no sugar is required.
4. Best to consume with 2 days if fresh fruits are used.
5. Watch this Konnyaku jelly cooking video clip by Phoon Huat: http://www.phoonhuat.com/special.htm
6. Konnyaku jelly moulds (as shown in the photo below) are availabe at any Phoon Huat outlets (a shop selling baking ingredients and tools in Singapore).

WARNINGS:
Parents and caretakers should be aware that jelly products containing Konnyaku may pose choking hazards as it is extremely difficult to remove if it gets stuck down the throat. Thus, it is not suitable to serve children below 4 years old and the elderly. Even for older kids and adults alike, to prevent getting choked unnecessarily, it is recommended that the jelly be first cut or bite into smaller pieces and properly chewed before swallowing.


Konnyaku (蒟蒻) is also known as “konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam”. (Can anyone tell why so many eerie nicknames? ). It is a natural food made from a type of mountain potato mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.

It is a traditional Japanese health food and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It appears in many dishes in Japanese cuisine such as oden, sukiyaki and sashimi. Besides that, it is also widely used as a substitute for gelatin in making jelly dessert.

Konnyaku has no fat, low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Hence, it can bring us many excellent health benefits as below:
a) normalize cholesterol level.
b) control sugar level in blood for diabetes.
c) prevent high blood pressure.
d) clean toxin in the intestines and prevent intestinal cancer
e) ideal for weight control as it expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full.

http://food-4tots.com/2010/07/08/konnyaku-jelly/2/