Easy Vegan Coconut Milk Dessert
Welcome to my Ayurveda & Yoga blog! I’m Evangeline and I’m an RMT and holistic health coach. I started my blog during covid to stay connected to my clients and share my love of cooking healthy, AYURVEDIC INSPIRED meals.
Ayurvedic cooking is a conscious approach to preparing and cooking tasty, nutritious, balanced meals using spices and herbs, and taking into consideration the external conditions- the season, time of day, and how you are feeling and the state of your health.
I grew up eating Filipino dishes, like ginataan. Ginataan in Filipino means food made with milk or coconut milk.
My mom would make ginataan langka (langka is jackfruit), a warm, comforting dessert. She would add in sweet rice balls, plantain bananas, purple or orange sweet potatoes and tapioca pearls. With all of these ingredients you can make many variations with this nutrient-rich dish. My take on this is easy to make and maintains the traditional taste and feel of a sweet ginataan.
Coconut is a heavy food with a cooling quality, and jackfruit has a density to it, pictured below, and has a thick skin with segments of fibrous, sticky flesh. Fresh fruit, like coconut and jackfruit have mostly kapha and soma qualities as viewed in Ayurveda. Soma and kapha qualities have cooling, earthy, watery qualities, which is why we enjoy sweet, juicy fruits on hot, sunny weather. The sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin A- think healthy eyes, glowing skin, immune boosting, while tapioca is a natural binder that aids in the detoxification process. I keep in mind Ayurvedic principles when making meals and with this recipe I chose to make it lighter- or less kapha with less tubers and omitting the sweet rice balls, but maintaining the soma, nurturing qualities of coconut milk.
I have made this recipe for breakfast or as a snack without the jackfruit, with just sweet potatoes cooked in coconut milk. Jackfruit is not commonly found fresh where I live, and when I buy canned jackfruit, I get the ones sweetened naturally with juice. Try to see if you can also find canned jackfruit with no preservatives. More brands are canning them this way. With the popularity of “pulled-pork” jackfruit, I have also been seeing unsweetened canned young jackfruit.
This fast and nutrient rich treat is naturally sweet with a luscious texture and is sure to satisfy your craving for comfort food. Next time you see a can of jackfruit or coconut milk at the store, give this a try!
Update: Since making this, I made fresh coconut milk with the flesh of the coconut blended high with 1 cup of spring water. Absolutely fresh and delicious!
Easy Coconut Milk Dessert
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 can coconut milk + half can spring water or the flesh of 1 coconut + 1 cup spring water blended high in a blender
8-10 pieces sweet jackfruit, canned + a bit of its juice
1 medium sweet potato cubed- purple or orange
INSTRUCTIONS
Put coconut milk in a medium saucepan and add water and bring to a simmer at medium heat.
Add cubed sweet potatoes, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add slices of jackfruit and cook for a few more minutes. Serve warm.