China grass or Agar Agar or Kanten is a sea weed and completely vegetarian. It gives a smooth, glossy finish and many chefs prefer to use it over gelatin. China grass, if used properly sets easily at room temperature. The method of using Agar Agar or Gelatin (which is derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones) may be the same. Agar agar comes in flakes or powders.
Be careful to follow the recipe correctly to get the desired texture. These are some useful tips to cook with agar agar, china grass or kanten:
- They need to be broken into pieces and softened by soaking in cold water for about 10-15 minutes.
- Heat in low flame for them to melt completely. Never heat on a high or even medium flame.
- When you boil agar agar, stir continuously or the flakes/powder will set in the bottom.
- Do not over cook the agar agar mixture as it tends to set while cooking.
- The agar agar mixture has to be added to another hot mixture immediately. Both the mixtures have to be HOT for the agar agar to set properly. If any one of them is cold, then your dessert will not set properly
- In case the agar agar mixture solidifies before you add to another hot mixture, reheat in low flame until it melts again completely and then add it.
My recipe calls for 20 grams of Agar Agar, which I cannot find anywhere. I have flavorless gelatin, how much gelatin should I use in the recipe?
Thank you!
Very useful info, thanks. If adding fruit puree like mango or coconut milk, can we wait till china grass cools moderately and then add? Since fruit can only be at room temperature.
Thanks !
I made mango cheese cake using agar agar
But it did not set
I added 25 GM of agar agar in 500 of cream cheese mixture
If a recipe asks for 1T falooda powder but I want to use gelatine how do u convert.
Achhi jaankari hai thanks. Aap bata sakte hai ki 01 kg mango puree Ke mixture me kitna agar agar powder use kar sakte hain.
Will i be able to use agar agar in cheesecakes?. Because then there is the problem of the mixture im adding it to not being hot.
In a no bake cheesecake recipe yest, i added hot agar agar liquid to cream cheese. But then it already solidified within the mixture and just made alot of curdles.
Alot of cheesecake calls for gelatin. Is gelatin better an ingredient?
Thanks for the explanation.
How can I use agar agar if I am using whipping cream and cream cheese in my dessert
Hi,is there any way to add it to a cool or cold fruit puree? I am making a layered cake with coconut cream and top it with mango puree. if i heated the mango puree and pour it over the cream of coconut it would probably melt the coconut. what is your advice?
Hi. I am looking for some advice on using agar agar to set equal quantities of fruit puree and granulated sugar. Some fruit (gooseberry) is higher in pectin that others (pears). I am struggling to get a firm set, like pate de fruit or fruit paste. I want to cut it into shapes after cooking/cooling so I need a firm set. Any pointers? Can you actually use too much agar agar? Thx
How much china grass is required in replacement of 1tblsp agar agar piwder or 1 tbsp gelatin powder?