Thai Coconut ice cream in topless green young coconut ( ice cream nyior mudo)

Coconut ice cream ( ice cream nyior mudo)

Sawadeka..whenever  I'm enjoying air kelapa muda ( young coconut  juice) during hot day.. I am whisked back in time to hot April days in Bangkok..during Songkaran Festival and eating my Coconut ice cream in the young coconut shell adorn with Thai orchid by  Baan Yoswadee swimming pool. Baan Yoswadee was our home for a good five  years.  There is a story worth mentioning, more special than the cold coconut ice cream.

It is about kindness from a stranger (than became our good friend), during  one hot April day in Bangkok.I was new there with 2 little ones, one each sides ,with limited Thai vocab.I were about to ask how to say in Thai  to buy  a coconut drink or ice cream from the stall across our place.This Thai lady offered to help,but I was a bit sceptical at first, she  insisted to  help and asked me to send the ice cream to my suite ( didn't know she is my neighbour's maid).I dare not to give our address. I just instructed her to send it to the pool, felt safer there  and waited.

She came in with a  topless green young coconut ,adorn with Thai orchid filled with ice cream.She actually gone out of her way to make it beautifully presented..I knew it , because I paid just the ice cream from the road side seller, she bought the  young coconut and get the orchid from the receptionist desk .I was speechless,blessed, but still not very friendly,not too fast to make friend with stranger. After a little chit-chat she thanked me that  I actually gave her chance to make merrit before  she went home that day.Her name is Khun Kim. We are good friend since than. Bangkok became our other second home.We were blessed that we had her. She was actually my next door neighbour's maid. During her one hour lunch breaks, she always come over to my kitchen, asking if  anything that she can help,even if I said I did not need any help that day,she will give a big smile and brought me a glass of cold water and said " here madam, drink for you, ring the ben (bell) if you wan me hep you" .( I'm touched with such grace simple kindness and hold that close to my heart.She and her only daughter normally will join us during our holiday trip around Thailand beautiful remote areas )

 Her duty finished at 5pm, most of the time she offered to prepare Tom yam gong or other dishes for our dinner before went home. Many mornings she came earlier for work, do what ever in my kitchen before her 8am duty.Sometime she took the money I gave but many time she took, said TQ and gave back to my kids,informed us that she is making Merrit that day.I yet to find such a nice maid.She became a part of our family, my kids regard her as their aunty.I regard her as one of my dearest  special friends .She is a great cook too.She can prepare  delicious Farang (western) food, she baked lovely cakes and took pride of her job. I  learnt many dishes from her over the years .I yet to meet such a lovely maid. Here is yummylicious coconut ice cream that she thought me. She call it I-Thim Kati.(coconut ice cream)

Ingredients

400ml coconut milk ( fresh or can)
100ml sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup young coconut juice (or water if you do not hv)
1/3 cup caster  sugar
11/2 tea spoon gelatin powder
1/4 cup   cold water
1cup young coconut flesh (option--process in the food processor until smooth )

Method
1.Heat up water and sugar ,stirring until  all sugar dissolve.Off the heat.
2.In a bowl,combine coconut milk, condensed milk.mix well.
3.In a small bowl,sprinkle the gelatine over cold water,leave to soften for a few minutes before  stir into the hot syrup.Cool the syrup and gelatine mixture,string,add in coconut milk mixture, mix well,and freeze in a shallow tray.( or you can put in the ice cream maker--I do not hv this yet)
4.When it frozen around the edges but still slushy in the centre,turn out into a bowl and whisk or put into a food processor,process until smooth but not melted.(texture should be like ice blended at this stage.--add in young coconut flesh at this stage).
5.return to the ice tray and refreeze until firm. Leave it a few minute before  scoop and serve in young  topless green  young coconut. decorate as you like. ( you may want to garnish with young coconut strips too.

Soon there will be an election in Thailand, my sister just back from her Bangkok trip, with a lots a goodies. I do pray  that Bangkok will be as a safe and pleasant place as it meant to be and will bring a big smile back to Thai faces.

 Khop khun kha.