Lapov Ktis
Cambodian Pumpkin in Creamy Tapioca SauceCOURTESY OF CHEF CHANNY LAUXThis dessert also brings back some of my fondest childhood memories. As a young girl, I loved helping my mother in the kitchen. My favorite job was scooping out the pumpkin seeds. We would soak them in a light salt brine, dry them in the sun and roast them the next day for a delicious snack. Watching something so simple transform into another tasty treat was always satisfying, and it’s a memory I still cherish every time I make lapov ktis.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup small tapioca pearls
- 1½ lbs prepared kabocha pumpkin*
- 4 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 13.5 fl oz coconut cream
Instructions
- Place the tapioca in a small bowl and cover with water. Immediately strain the water out and set aside. This step allows tapioca to expand properly.
- Prepare the Kabocha: Remove the seeds and shave off about half of the rind, removing any scars. Cut the kabocha into small triangle pieces (about 1 inch each side).A triangle shape allows more kabocha to dissolve into the sauce while cooking.
- Make the Dessert: Place the kabocha pieces into a medium pot and add the 4 cups of water and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.Using a fork, gently loosen the tapioca from the bowl or strainer into the simmering kabocha. This helps the small tapioca to not clump together and cook properly.Stir and continue simmering for about 3 more minutes. At this point the tapioca pearls will not yet have become completely translucent. Add the sugar to the pot and stir until dissolved. Add the coconut cream and gently stir, then bring to soft boil before turning off the heat. Let the pot rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. This last step will allow the tapioca to completely cook and the sauce to thicken.You can serve the lapov ktis hot, warm or cold, but my favorite is warm when the tapioca is perfectly formed and the sauce thickens. Top with fresh Arabian jasmine flowers** for that delicate and sweet fragrance.
Notes
*NOTE: This dessert is also good using ube or thinly sliced sweet corn instead of kabocha.
** Arabian jasmine, Jasminum sambac, is the same plant used for the essence of jasmine tea. This is not the same jasmine we see and smell growing in everyone’s yards. You can find Arabian jasmine most often as a potted plant in the floral or garden section at major local supermarkets or gardening centers, rather than as a cut flower or herb.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Historical Fun Fact
Kabocha is derived from the Portuguese word for Cambodia, Camboja. When Portuguese merchants arrived in Japan in the 1500s, they introduced the pumpkin that they got from Cambodia along their trade routes. Cucurbita maxima originates from South America. Portuguese sailors transported the seeds as part of the Columbian Exchange that was started in 1492.
