If you are looking for a healthy dessert to cool you off during these hot days, try this Red Ruby Dessert or Tubtim Krob. It’s so refreshing and tasty. With Jicama being the main ingredient, you’ll also get prebiotic (yes that’s “pre”-biotic ) to keep your gut happy while eating dessert!
Red Ruby Dessert or Tubtim Krob is a famous Thai dessert, and it’s a favorite for many people, especially during hot summer days. “Tubtim” in Thai has two meanings. One is for Red Ruby, a beautiful gemstone. The other one can be pomegranate, a very tasty and healthy fruit. “Krob” means crunchy. The beautiful red color of these pomegranate kernels or red rubies coated with clear tapioca flour is too hard for any child, or even grown up to resist.
Authentic Red Ruby Dessert or Tubtim Krob is usually made from water chestnuts dyed with food coloring. As it’s not easy to find water chestnuts in my area, I use jicama instead. I love using jicama for Red Ruby Dessert or Tubtim Krob as I know I’m doing a good thing for my gut. Why? Because jicama is a great source for prebiotics.
As for the color, I use raspberry juice instead, and it works perfect. I get the beautiful red color I want, but it does take longer for the jicama to absorb the color to my satisfaction. However, I feel better dying my food with fruit. It’s really worth the effort, and patience to me.
Ready to surprise your loved ones with this beautiful and healthy dessert?
Here is what you need for Red Ruby Dessert or Tubtim Krob:
- 2 cups (640 g) jicama.
- 1 cup (340 g) frozen raspberries (more if you want).
- 1 ½ – 2 cups (350 – 470 ml) of coconut milk.
- About 1 cup (340 g) tapioca flour (might be slightly less or more).
- 2 tbsp (28 g) sugar.
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) salt.
- About 4½ cup (1 L.) filtered water.
- 1 cup (340 g) or more of thin sliced jackfruit (or another kind of yellowish fruit)
- 1-2 cups (340-680 g) crushed ice.
How:
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) of water to the frozen raspberries and let them thaw until soft. (in the mean time, prepare the jackfruit or another kind of yellowish fruit by slicing them thinly, and keep in a fridge.)
- When the raspberries are soft, juice them by crushing and straining for the food coloring. (I save the pulp)
- Cut, peel, slice, and dice the jicama into small cubes, about ¼ of an inch square (6-7 mm). Note: Don’t cut them too big as it’s hard to eat.
- Soak the cubes in the raspberry juice until they turn red. It take about 30 minutes or so. While the cube are being soaked, prepare the coconut sauce.
- In a small saucepan, add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt.
- Cook on low heat until the sugar & salt dissolved, and everything mixes well. Then set aside to cool.
- When the cubes are red they are ready. Pour them into a strainer and let the juice drain for a few minutes, until the cubes are just moist. (I also save the juice)
- Add a small amount of the tapioca flour into a small mixing bowl, then add a small part of the jicama cubes in. Mix well to make sure all the cubes are coated thoroughly, sift off the excess flour and set them in another bowl. Repeat until done.
- In another small pot, boil about 4 cups or so of water. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare icy-cold water.
- When the water reaches a full boil, add a few scoops of the cubes to it.
- Cook until the water turns to a full boil again. At this point all the cubes should float to the surface.
- Scoop and place them into the icy-cold water. The cubes now look like red rubies. Repeat until done.
Note: I use the raspberry pulp and juice to make raspberry (plant) milk. I sweeten it with a little bit of maple syrup, and it’s delicious!
To serve:
- Put a serving amount of the Red Ruby Dessert / Tubtim Krob in a serving bowl (I like to eat a small amount at a time, but always have a second or a third)
- Top with some jackfruit and crushed ice.
- Pour some sweet coconut milk over it and enjoy.
Have you had or made this dish? Please share it with me, I’d love to hear about it!.
