This Thai dessert is my favorite snack time since when I was a little girl. My cousin or my aunt and she was my neighbor, I would go to her house and first I only watch her how she prepare Khanom Lod Chong Nam Gathi. The more I watch her I know the steps then I ask her if I can help and she would let me do it for a small job helping around her kitchen. My aunt sell this dessert at the open market in the morning. So, she always prepare it the day before.
Every time when I make this menu, it's always bring back lots of memories how happy I am when I was a kid. My happiness was when my stomach full. Whenever, I crave this dessert I would go help her make it in the kitchen and she would give me bowl to try then she would ask "taste good?" and I always said "yes, because I help you make it". They way my aunt prepare Lod Chong Nam Gathi is very authentic and using fire charcoal when she cooking the Pandan noodles which you can see it on the picture above. They look green color by nature from the pandas leave other than make the Thai dessert smell good and also giving the natural green color as well. So, this dessert never use food coloring.
When I first got to USA, I don't have enough tools to make my own. So, I buy this dessert to try and some seller using green food coloring. It didn't have flavor of Pandan smell neither it isn't authentic Thai dessert. That is the reason why I start to get my own tools and practice on how to prepare this menu in my kitchen. Now, I can make them any time I want and whenever and I am be able to share my recipe with you and giving out Lod Chong to people to try and I start selling this Lod Chong Nam Gathi at Farmer Market.
What is Khanom Lod Chong Nam Gathi?
Khanom Lod Chong Nam Gathi or Pandan flavored rice flour droplets in sweetened coconut cream sauce. Process of prepare this dessert that are 2 deferent steps which first prepare the pandas green noodles (Lod Chong) that require some time to stir inside the kitchen for at least an hour. While you stirring the noodles then I prepare the coconut cream sauce (Nam Gathi) which take a few minutes to finish and let it cool completely is take a little bit some time.
Whenever I have a chance to be able to giving out some free dessert, I would volunteer to giving out this Thai dessert at Thai Temple events. I put this little cup on the table and Khanom Lod Chong gone within an hour and some of them come back to me and said that tastes really good. Little complements bright up my day and I keep all the complements in my heart to filled up my powder on the day I feel down. Thank you to all the little sweet words from you that meant so much to me.
Khanom Lod Chong Nam Gathi tasts sweet from coconut cream sauce which has palm sugar in the sauce that giving the sweet and creamy flavor from coconut milk. The Lod Chong or green noodles has thick rice noodle flavor that didn't have any flavor in it that is why have to to have coconut cream sauce serving with some crushed ice will taste even better during summer time. The perfect dessert for the heat day in summer, I would say!
Menu Ingredients Serve for 4 to 6
Lod Chong Ingredients
2 cups of Rice Flour
6 tablespoons of Cornstarch
1 cup of Pandan Water *(1 cup of water and 10 leaves of Pandan, finely chopped)
5 cups of Lime Water *(1 tablespoon of Red Lime Stone Paste mixed with 5 cups of water)
Lod Chong Preparation
I usually start with Pandan water by using a blender. Adds chopped Pandan Leaves and one cup of water. Blend until the leaves get smooth.
Pours all the water into the strainer that have a bowl underneath and remove all the leaves out. Only need that Pandan water.
Mixes dry ingredients; rice flour and cornstarch in a medium bowl then add a cup of Pandan water. Using hand whisk or by hand mix well until everything corporate.
Then transfer to a large pot at medium high heat and keep stirs while adding 5 cups of lime water. Continue stirring until the batter look shiny, thick, and cooked. It takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Prepare a large bowl with ice water then transfers the batter to the Lod Chong Mold and let them drop over the ice water until finish all the batter while the batter is still warm (it will make it easy to push).
Nam Gathi Ingredients
2 cups of Coconut Milk
1 cup of Palm Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
Nam Gathi Preparation
In a medium pot, added all ingredients into a pot and bring to boil at medium high heat. When the coconut milk start to bubble then reduce heat to medium low. Stirred until all palm sugar melt and until everything corporate. Turn off the stove and let it cool down for about 30 minutes before serve.
For Serving Khanom Lod Chong Nam Gathi
Using small strainer scoop up some Pandan noodles and put into a serving bowl then added 1/4 cup or less coconut cream sauce then added some crush ice over the dessert and repeat the same process for the next serving bowls.
When I am not finish in one time, I would store the noodles and cream sauce into separate containers or airtight containers in refrigerator will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days. Usually never stay that long, it will be gone by a day or two because this dessert menu taste so good.