800ml coconut milk (ie, 2 tins)
50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, slit lengthways and seeds scraped out
Shaved zest of 2 limes, plus 20ml lime juice
Flaked sea salt
6.5g sachet vege-gel (a vegetarian setting agent that’s widely available in the baking section of supermarkets – Dr Oetker is just one brand to look out for)
30g dark muscovado sugar
½ ripe mango, peeled and sliced into thin, 2mm x 5cm-long strips
2 tbsp salted and roasted peanuts, finely chopped
Put the coconut milk in a medium saucepan with the sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, lime zest and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Gently warm for 10 minutes, until the milk is steaming and aromatic and the sugar has dissolved, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
Strain the milk through a fine sieve, squeezing as much liquid from the aromatics as possible. Return the milk to the pan and put on a medium heat. Add the vege-gel and cook for three minutes, whisking continuously, until the vege-gel has dissolved and the milk has thickened slightly. Take off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of lime juice, then divide between six ramekins (or bowls or glasses of a similar size and capacity) and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Put the muscovado sugar in a small saucepan with two tablespoons of water, bring to a boil, then leave to bubble for 30-60 seconds, until the sugar has melted and the syrup has thickened. Take off the heat, stir in the remaining teaspoon of lime juice and leave to cool – you should end up with two tablespoons of pourable syrup.
To serve, top each pudding with a slice or two of mango, drizzle on a teaspoon of syrup and finish by scattering over a teaspoon of peanuts.
