Vegan Coconut Malabi

When I’m asked to bring dessert to a festive meal, I can go back and forth for days trying to decide what to make. On the one hand, it’s a moment to impress—and as someone who works in this world, I know people are waiting to see what I bring. On the other hand, expectations and I don’t get along very well, and the last thing I want is to spend hours in the kitchen assembling a dessert with ten layers. Yes, even if that’s what everyone assumes will happen.

It’s not just that I don’t connect to multi-layered desserts in terms of taste—I’m also not drawn to anything that looks overly dressed up. And mostly, I can’t deal with a sink full of dishes at the end. Add to that my inability to focus on one thing for more than half an hour, and you’ve got my entire philosophy about food, especially dessert.

So how do I choose what to make? Two things matter to me. First, the flavor and how it fits the meal. I would never serve a heavy dessert after a multi-course meal (Shavuot is the one exception—there must be cheesecake). And I wouldn’t bring tiramisu to an Asian meal. The second is how the dessert looks—how to make people feel something without spending ten hours decorating. That’s just not me.

And what does all of this have to do with malabi?

Every year, my extended family gathers to celebrate my dad’s birthday—and another relative’s—in Park HaYarkon in Tel Aviv. Between us, it’s also just a good excuse to meet at the one time of year when the weather is exactly right. It’s the kind of gathering we all look forward to.

And me? I’m in charge of dessert, of course.

Because it’s an outdoor event, with a lot of food, and quite a few people who keep kosher, I knew I needed something light, not too rich, dairy-free—and still something that would feel a little special, even without gold dust or amarena cherries.

That’s how I landed on this vegan coconut malabi.

It’s one of those desserts that’s light, nostalgic, and very easy to make—and between us, it’s also kind on the number of dishes waiting in the sink.

It travels well, can be made a few days ahead, and somehow always feels just right.

Vegan Coconut Malabi

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Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes + 4 hours chilling 10 minutes + 4 hours chilling

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

For 6 to 8 medium individual servings as in the picture

• 1 (14 oz / 400 ml) can coconut cream
• Water (see instructions)
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water (or less, to taste)

To serve:

• Malabi syrup (homemade or store-bought - see notes)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Chopped peanuts

Instructions

- Pour the coconut cream into a wide pot. Fill the empty can all the way with water and add it to the pot as well. - Fill the can again, this time halfway with water, and add the cornstarch directly into the can (yes, really—saving you a dish here). Stir well with a spoon until there are no lumps at all, then add it to the pot. - Add the sugar and rose water, and cook over medium heat, whisking the whole time, until the mixture thickens to something like a pudding. And this part is important—really important: don’t take it off the heat too early. If you do, the malabi won’t set in the fridge. At first it will feel like nothing is happening, like it will never thicken—but trust me, after about 8–10 minutes it suddenly comes together all at once. Just keep whisking so you don’t get lumps. - Pour into individual serving dishes, cover right away, and transfer to the fridge so it doesn’t form a skin on top. Serve cold, with syrup, coconut, and chopped peanuts. Add the syrup just before serving so it stays on top and doesn’t slowly slide down the sides and disappear. I usually just bring the bottle with me and let everyone add as much as they want.

I know I should have a plastic spoon here, but I left them at my mom's house

Notes

- You can use heavy cream instead of coconut cream (no longer dairy-free). - Instead of coconut cream + water, you can use 4 cups (1 quart) milk (dairy, rice milk, or coconut milk). Just set aside a little of the milk to mix with the cornstarch first. - I like a more noticeable rose water flavor, so I use a full teaspoon—but you can reduce it to 1/2 teaspoon, or replace it with good vanilla extract. - The classic red syrup can be found in most spice shops, or made from strained blended berries or raspberry syrup. -This dessert must be served cold.