
I used to use Gelatine Powder to make this jelly, but lately I prefer Agar Agar Powder. The texture of Gelatine is more suitable for some types of jellies, but Agar Agar is good for this jelly. Agar Agar Powder is so easy to use and it doesn’t have unpleasant smell like Gelatine. It is made from sea plants. So, this is a vegan version of Jasmine Tea & Lychee Jelly.
Makes
4 Servings
Ingredients
2 cups (500ml) Water
4g (1 & 1/4 teaspoons) Agar Agar Powder *OR 4g Kanten Powder
*Note: You can reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon (about 3g) for softer jelly.
2 to 3 bags Jasmine Tea *OR Black Tea
4 tablespoons Sugar *add more to suit your taste
1 can (560g) Lychees in Syrup *drained, save the Syrup
Mint *optional
Method
- Place Water and Agar Agar Powder in a saucepan, and mix well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, add Tea Bags to the mixture, and make tea which strength depends on your preference. DO NOT leave Tea Bags for too long as the tea turns bitter.
- *Note: If you make tea first, then boil it with Agar Agar Powder, the delicate fragrance of Jasmine would be lost.
- Remove the bags, add Sugar and 1/2 cup of the saved Syrup, and stir. Allow it to cool slightly, but do not leave it for too long because this Jelly sets at room temperature.
- Place some drained Lychees in the serving glasses, and pour the jelly mixture. Add Mint if you wish to do so, and leave in the fridge until set.
Comments
Lizzy
23/09/2024
Thank you for the helpful recipe!
Apologies for being one of *those* people, but I mostly used your recipe to make a generic tea jelly (A lychee-flavored tea and a chamomile tea were my victims), and your steps were fantastic for ensuring that I didn’t put the agar agar in hot water like I did with gelatin-based tea jelly. But considering this is one of the top google results for tea jelly with agar agar that uses bagged/looseleaf tea rather than powdered tea, the recipe is SO helpful.
I did steep the tea while it was simmering, mostly to ensure that the agar agar was thoroughly dissolved and fears that it would start to set, as it did start to set the moment I removed it from heat, mostly when it was a thin coating such as on the side of the pan and the spatula. While it did not seem to affect the flavor, it might have affected the firmness?
For those looking to try this recipe out, know that 4g agar agar to 2 cups water makes this one heck of a firm jelly! Heed our chef’s advice to cut down on agar agar if you’re looking for the more classic jello texture.
Hiroko
25/09/2024
Hi Lizzy. Thank you for your insight and advice. I believe it is important for everyone to figure out how to alter other people’s recipes to suit they own preferences. And you are right about the firmness of the jelly. To achieve the texture similar to the gelatine base jelly, 4g Agar Agar is too much. But I have found 2g is not enough. You would need about 3g as I have mentioned in the recipe, but it depends on your preference.