Easy Vegan Coconut Milk Dessert
Hi I’m Evangeline! Welcome to my blog. I am mom and lover of all things health and wellness. By profession- a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga & Ayurveda consultant. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find health tips and nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.
I grew up eating Filipino dishes, like ginataan. Ginataan in Filipino means “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 with thick skin, and fibrous, sticky fruit. Fresh fruit, like coconut and jackfruit have dominant soma qualities as viewed in Ayurveda. Soma is a vibrational energy with nourishing, cooling, earthy 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 aggravating, with fewer tubers and omitting the sweet rice balls, but maintaining the soma, nurturing qualities from the coconut milk base.
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. When I resort to getting bottled or canned jackfruit, I get the ones sweetened naturally with juice. Canned or bottled jackfruit is available with no preservatives. 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.
