If you're craving delicious sarim (colourful mung bean noodles in coconut syrup), MK Unigroup has the method for you. It isn't difficult to make, and for anyone curious we've included the history of sarim too.
The History of Sarim
The origins of sarim are unclear, but records show it was known in Ayutthaya by the late Ayutthaya period. When it comes to desserts of that era, one name stands out: Thao Thong Kip Ma, or Maria Guyomar, the "Queen of Thai Desserts", creator of famous sweets such as thong yip and thong yot that are known throughout the country. It has therefore been suggested that sarim might be one of the desserts she created.
Other sources suggest that sarim came from Java during the reign of King Borommakot. In his time many Malay nobles from Pattani served at the royal court under the care of two of his daughters, Princess Kunthon and Princess Mongkut, both of whom were very fond of Javanese culture. It is therefore believed that "sarim" was a dessert brought from Java to Siam in the late Ayutthaya period.
In the Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan, a poem composed by King Rama II (Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai), later generations learn only that sarim is sweet and eaten with coconut milk scented with borneol, without any description of the noodles themselves. The verse, in paraphrase, tells of sarim's lingering sweetness mingled with coconut milk, sprinkled with fragrant borneol.
The 2011 Royal Institute Dictionary simply describes it as a dessert made from mung bean flour, thin and long in shape, in many colours, and eaten with coconut milk and shaved ice, without specifying which colours.
Sarim Ingredients
Green Sarim Noodles
- 1 cup mung bean flour or sarim flour
- 4 cups concentrated pandan juice
- Cold water
Pink Sarim Noodles
- 1 cup mung bean flour or sarim flour
- Red syrup or pink food colouring
- 4 cups jasmine-scented water
- Cold water
White Sarim Noodles
- 1 cup mung bean flour or sarim flour
- 4 cups jasmine-scented water
- Cold water
Coconut Syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup jasmine-scented water
- 2 cups coconut milk
- A little salt
Equipment
- A sarim noodle press
How to Make Jasmine-Scented Water
Wash jasmine flowers thoroughly, float them in water and cover overnight. Scoop out the flowers before use.
How to Make Green Sarim
- Put the mung bean flour in a pan over medium heat, add the pandan juice and stir until the dough is cooked and translucent.
- Spoon the mixture into the press and press long noodles into cold water. Leave for about 5–10 minutes, then drain the noodles in a sieve.
Note: stirring the dough in one direction keeps it soft and stops it turning mushy.
How to Make Pink Sarim
- Mix the flour with the jasmine-scented water, add the red syrup and stir over heat until cooked and translucent.
- Spoon the mixture into the press and press long noodles into cold water. Leave for about 5–10 minutes, then drain in a sieve.
How to Make White Sarim
- Mix the flour with the jasmine-scented water and stir over heat until cooked and translucent.
- Spoon the mixture into the press and press long noodles into cold water. Leave for about 5–10 minutes, then drain in a sieve.
How to Make the Coconut Syrup
- Put the sugar and jasmine-scented water in a pan over medium heat and stir until dissolved and boiling. Lower the heat and simmer until small bubbles form and it thickens.
- Add the coconut cream mixed with salt, stir well, turn off the heat and leave to cool.
- Spoon the colourful sarim noodles into a bowl, add the coconut syrup, top with ice and serve.
