Buttermilk Puddings with Agar Agar

This is a great way to use up buttermilk in the refrigerator. The original recipe is from Gourmet using gelatin which I didn't have. What I used instead was Agar Agar powder which, in Thailand, is used for desserts similar to jello with more chew and made with coconut milk or basil seeds. I got a few envelopes of the powder and a bag of basil seeds from Chinatown to make basil seed jello last summer but never got to it.



Ingredients

• 2 cups milk


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1 vanilla bean


• 1 teaspoon agar agar powder


• 2 cups buttermilk

With blueberries

Directions

1. Heat milk, sugar, scraped vanilla bean and agar agar powder on a stove top over medium heat until agar agar powder completely dissolves - about 15 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent jelly to form at the bottom. Don't turn your back. Milk boils over very easily.


2. Turn off the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes on the stove top. Do not refrigerate yet. This is so that when you pour buttermilk into milk, milk protein won't separate and become cheese.


3. Stir in 2 cups buttermilk. Divide into 6 individual cups and refrigerate. Agar agar sets a lot faster than gelatin. Serve cold by itself or with fruit.