Tub Tim Krob Recipe

Prepare water chestnuts

Peel and dice fresh water chestnuts into roughly 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes to yield about 1 cup. If using canned chestnuts, drain and rinse, then pat dry and cut to similar size.

Poach and color chestnuts

In a small saucepan, combine 2–3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bring to a simmer, add the diced chestnuts and simmer gently for 2 minutes to help them absorb sweetness. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add the food coloring—start with a few drops and stir until pieces are evenly colored; add more until desired pink/red tone is reached. Drain chestnuts and set aside on a tray to cool.

Make tapioca coating batter

In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup tapioca starch and 1/2 cup cold water to form a slurry (start with 1/2 cup, reserve remaining water). Add more water a tablespoon at a time if needed until the mixture is thick but pourable — about the consistency of heavy cream. Keep the remaining water for later adjustment.

Coat chestnuts and form pearls

Heat a shallow pot of oil to 350°F / 175°C for shallow frying (or use a nonstick skillet with 1/4-inch oil). Working with one chestnut at a time, dip each colored chestnut into the tapioca slurry to coat entirely. If the slurry is too thin, dust chestnuts lightly with extra tapioca starch before dipping. Place coated chestnuts into the hot oil and fry briefly (20–40 seconds) until the coating becomes translucent and slightly puffy; do not overbrown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. As an alternative no-fry method, steam the coated pieces over simmering water for 4–6 minutes until the coating becomes translucent.

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup palm sugar and 1 cup water. Add tied pandan leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract if not using pandan) and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes to let flavors meld. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt as needed. Strain out pandan leaves and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

In a small saucepan, mix 1 cup coconut milk with 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon rice flour (or cornstarch) in 1 tablespoon water, then whisk this slurry into the coconut milk. Warm the mixture over low heat, stirring, until it slightly thickens (2–3 minutes). Do not let it boil, to avoid splitting the coconut milk. Remove from heat and cool to warm or room temperature.

Place crushed ice or several ice cubes into serving bowls (about 1/2 cup ice per serving).

Divide the fried/steamed, tapioca-coated colored water chestnut pieces among 4 bowls (about 1/4 cup per bowl).

Drizzle each bowl with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the palm sugar syrup (adjust to taste).

Pour about 2–3 tablespoons of the warm (or cooled) coconut milk dressing over each serving.

Garnish with 1/2 tablespoon shredded coconut per bowl if using. Serve immediately with a small spoon so diners can scoop a mix of syrup, coconut milk and chewy tub tim krob with the ice.