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Air mata kucing
Longan and winter melon drink
Air mata kucing: dried longan, monk fruit and winter melon cooler
Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown has a stall that has sold little else for decades, and on a hot afternoon the queue for its iced air mata kucing, 'cat's eye water', stretches down the lane. The 'cat's eyes' are dried longan, simmered with monk fruit, candied winter melon and rock sugar into a sweet, smoky, caramel-like brew that Chinese Malaysians drink to cool the body. Look for the dried ingredients in Chinese grocers. Chef's tip: boiling hard for too long makes it bitter from the monk fruit shell; keep it at a gentle simmer.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 2 ⅞ oz dried longan fleshrinsed
- 1 dried monk fruit (luo han guo)cracked open
- 3 ½ oz candied winter melon strips
- 3 pandan leavesknotted
- 2 ⅞ oz rock sugarto taste
- 14 oz ice cubesto serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups water to the boil in a large pan with 1 dried monk fruit (luo han guo), 3 ½ oz candied winter melon strips and 3 pandan leaves over a high heat.
8 minStep 2: Turn down to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 25 minutes, until the winter melon has dissolved into soft strands and the liquid is amber.
25 minStep 3: Add 2 ⅞ oz dried longan flesh and 2 ⅞ oz rock sugar and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the longan is plump. Taste and add more sugar if you like it sweeter.
10 minStep 4: Lift out the pandan and monk fruit shell and cool. Serve over 14 oz ice cubes with some longan in each glass, or warm in cooler weather. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 135 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does air mata kucing take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rock sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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