I think Sri Lanka is one of the best countries to be vegan in.
It’s not even the mango season but mangoes are aplenty in supermarkets and we couldn’t be happier. not just that, our passion fruit vine is making more passion fruit than we could possibly consume (and I made these amazingly delicious passion fruit white chocolate cookies sometime ago), it seemed the logical thing to try and make use of these precious tropical gems that the island blesses us with.
It’s always warm here in Sri Lanka and coconut milk is well known for its cooling properties. Deliciously nutty with a hint of sunshine, coconut milk is one of my favorite ingredients to work with. Being an islander, why not!
Kithul treacle is the Sri Lankan maple syrup. Tapped from the Kithul palm, it is a deliciously caramelly natural sweetner from which the famous kithul hakuru is created.
Coconut milk and kithul treacle are best of friends! Combined with the brightness of mango and passion, this for me is the ideal combination.
I made these as a dessert, but keep in mind, this wonderfully refreshing cup is also ideal as a vegan breakfast option. It is healthy, it is natural and it is amazingly delicious. The combination of chia seed and coconut milk is absolutely magical with the toasty quality of the chia seeds combine so well with the sunshine of coconut milk.
Not to mention pretty. So so pwetty :)
So here’s how I went about making it.
Chia & Coconut Pudding
Ingredients
- Chia seeds - 80g
- Coconut milk - 3 cups, fresh, thick
- Kithul treacle - 3tblsps (or basically and vegan, natural sweetner)
- Mango - 1 cup freshly cubed
- Passion fruit pulp - ½ cup
Instructions
- Heat together the coconut milk and the kithul treacle until slightly thickened. Leave to cool.
- Soak the chia seeds in the coconut milk and treacle mixture. Leave for 2 hours in a refrigerator until they develop a slightly jelly-like texture.
- Spoon the chia seed mix into your serving glasses. Top with the left over coconut milk.
- Before serving, top with freshly cut mangoes or passion fruit pulp.
- Serve chilled.
Ideal for a hot day, this coconut-chia mixture is truly divine. The chia seeds with their distinct pistachio-like flavor compliment the tropical coconut oh-so-well while the caramelly treacle drags its silken robes across your senses, losing you in a tropical haze. The true treat is biting into one of those juicy mango cubes, its thick, sweet juices mingling with the toasty coconut or biting into those flavor atoms of the passion fruit pulp just zinging with flavor.
