Instructions

For the Coffee Layer

1. Measure the water and agar agar into a large saucepan.
2. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes to allow the agar agar to bloom.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Whisk everything together until all of the ingredients are combined.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to activate the agar agar. Keep a careful watch on the saucepan as the mixture may rise and boil over.
7. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting on your stove.
8. As the mixture sits, it may start to set in places. Whisk the mixture from time to time so that you have a smooth and clear mixture.

For the Coffee Layer

1. Measure the water and agar agar into a large saucepan.
2. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes to allow the agar agar to bloom.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Whisk everything together until all of the ingredients are combined. Make sure you use a separate whisk for the coffee layer.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to activate the agar agar. Keep a careful watch on the saucepan as the mixture may rise and boil over.
7. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting on your stove.
8. As the mixture sits, it may start to set in places. Whisk the mixture from time to time so that you have a smooth and clear mixture.

To Assemble the Vietnamese Coffee Jelly

1. Use a serving dish of your choice. I like to use a glass serving dish so you can see the layers on the side. For this recipe, I use a serving dish with a capacity of 1.5 litres/6 cups.
2. Pour two ladles of the coffee mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the serving dish. The strainer will remove any solids in the mixture and it will also help to remove any bubbles.
3. Let the coffee layer set before proceeding with the next layer. However, you can’t leave it to set for too long, otherwise the next layer will not stick to it. To check the progress of the jelly setting, gently tap the dish to see if the mixture has set all over, especially in the centre. Once you see that the mixture is no longer wobbly in the dish, and a gentle tap on top of the jelly reveals that it is no longer liquid underneath, you can proceed with the next layer. The setting time will depend on the size of your dish and the room temperature. For my dish, each layer takes 6-8 minutes to set.
4. In the meantime, wash the ladle and strainer, unless you happen to have two of both. For the layers to be equal in size, you need to use the same size ladle.
5. Pour two ladles of the coconut mixture through a fine mesh strainer on top of the coffee layer. I recommend doing this slowly and to pour in a zig-zag motion all over the bottom layer; if you pour the mixture just in one place on top of the bottom layer, you risk warming up the bottom layer and rupturing it.
6. Let the coconut layer set before repeating the above steps, alternating between the coffee mixture and the coconut mixture.
7. Once the top and final layer has set, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place the dish in the fridge.
8. Let the jelly set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To Serve

1. It is traditional to serve this jelly cut into diamond shape pieces, but you can slice them how you wish.
2. Serve the jelly cold from the fridge.