Sea Coconut Tong Sui (sweetened soup dessert) is very nourishing & cooling. It moisturises the lungs, tonifies the kidney and preserves youth and beauty. Good to consume during the dry/hot days.
You can get sea coconut from the wet market. Few market stalls carry it as the fruit sours quickly in the tropical heat. It's okay if you feel a little bit sourness in the packs, just rinse them clean will do.
You will notice that some flesh are "firm” while some are "soft: and “tender”. Firm-fleshed portions can be simmered for a longer time to reach a desired softness but not the tender ones. The tender ones mostly the young coconut flesh will easily melt into the soup if boil for long hours. It's lucky if you can get all averagely tenderness in a pack.
Then, the fruit’s soft brown shell has to be carefully peeled off to reveal its milky white flesh. You can easily use your finger to peel it off, no need any knife or fruit peeler.
Normally sold in a packet consist of 12 pcs, and if you find it too much to cook everything in one go, you may then keep the rest in the freezer. Just defrost it when you are reading to use it next time.
Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
6pcs Sea Coconut (rinse, peel the skin, and slice)
8pcs Red Dates (pitted)
20g Dried Longan
1/2 pcs Lo Han Guo
1200 ml Water
Rock Sugar to taste
Step by Step:
1. Cut and separate the firm and tender sea coconut flesh. (Mine was all quite tender, so I don't separates them after cutting)
2. In a pot, add in water, red dates, dried longan and lo han guo. (If you have any firm flesh, you may add in now)
3. Boil for 30 mins. Once it start to boil, reduce to low heat and let it simmer.
4. Add in sea coconut and continue to boil for 15 mins.
5. Add rock sugar to taste. (I omitted the rock sugar as the lo han guo, red dates and dried longan already given the slight sweetness to the soup)
6. Serve hot or chilled.
