• Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • Pantry
  • Shop
  • subscribe
  • Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
What To Cook Today
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

written by Marvellina Updated: March 15, 2022
9K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE RECIPE VIDEO
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Crunchy and refreshing water chestnuts pieces are wrapped in soft and chewy tapioca dough, resembling red ruby gems. The dessert is served in rich and creamy coconut milk infused with pandan flavor.
Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

Tub tim grob or tub tim krob is one of Thai’s popular dessert. It’s such a refreshing dessert to have especially when the weather is hot and humid. Some said it is named as Thai ruby dessert because of its resemblance to rubies or pomegranate (Tub Tim). Some said they look like pomegranate seeds, which they are too. Grob or krob means crunchy in Thai.

Tub tim grob looks pretty fancy but they are actually pretty simple to make. In a nutshell, diced water chestnuts are coated with tapioca flour and then boiled and served with simply syrup and coconut milk. Perfectly vegan and dairy-free here 🙂
Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

How to make tub tim grob

1. I used canned water chestnuts that have been peeled. Dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Get two large bowls, one for red and one for blue rubies

2. If using natural coloring, mix the red yeast rice powder with hot water and stir to dissolve. Strain the mixture and then add 100 grams of the water chestnuts and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. Soak the blue pea flowers in hot water for 15 minutes. Discard the flowers and collect the blue liquid. Soak the rest of the water chestnuts for at least 15 minutes.
If using food coloring, put 2 Tbsp of water and 1-2 drops of red food coloring in the bowl. Add the water chestnuts pieces into the red and another 100 gr of water chestnut into the blue food coloring


3. Put ingredients in a saucepan and let it simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside
4. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Don’t let it boil over. Remove from the heat and keep it chilled until ready to serve

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain off the red and blue liquid

6. Sprinkle the first 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the red rubies and another 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the blue ones. Toss them to coat with flour


7. Then add a second 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the red rubies and another 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the blue ones. Toss them lightly to coat

8. Use a sieve to shake off excess flour. The rubies should be fully coated and white in color

9. Put the rubies in the boiling water and stir to prevent the rubies from sticking to each other at the beginning. Let the water comes back to a boil and when the rubies float to the top, let them cook for another 2 minutes or so

10. Remove from the boiling water using a sieve

11. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process


12. Put about 2 Tbsp of syrup. Portion out the red and blue rubbies and then ladle the chilled coconut milk sauce over. Add more ice cubes if you like and serve immediately
Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

Tips

1. Use canned water chestnuts that have been peeled to save you some work
2. Coat the tapioca flour in batches, don’t dump it all in at once
3. Make sure the water has come to a rolling boil before you boil the rubies
4. Tub tim grob is best consumed on the same day they were made as the tapioca portion of tub tim grob will harden if you refrigerate them

Did you make this tub tim grob recipe?

I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)

Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Servings 4 servings as dessert
Please rate the recipe if you have tried it!
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

Red rubies:

  • 100 gr canned water chestnuts
  • 80 gr tapioca starch or more as needed
  • 1 Tbsp red yeast rice powder or use few drops of red food coloring + 2 Tbsp water
  • 100 ml hot water (to mix with red yeast rice powder) omit if you use red food coloring
  • ice water

Blue rubies:

  • 100 gr canned water chestnuts
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 80 gr tapioca starch or more as needed
  • 30 pieces dried blue pea flowers or use few drops of blue food coloring + 2 Tbsp water
  • 100 ml hot water (to soak the flowers) omit if using blue food coloring
  • ice water

Coconut milk sauce:

  • 250 ml coconut milk
  • 100 gr sugar
  • 100 ml water
  • ⅛ tsp Salt
  • 2 pandan leaves knotted

Instructions
 

Prepare red and blue rubies:

  • I used canned water chestnuts that have been peeled. Dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Get two large bowls, one for red and one for blue rubies
  • If using natural coloring, mix the red yeast rice powder with hot water and stir to dissolve. Strain the mixture and then add 100 grams of the water chestnuts and let them soak for at least 15 minutes
  • Soak the blue pea flowers in hot water for 15 minutes. Discard the flowers and collect the blue liquid. Soak the rest of the water chestnuts for at least 15 minutes
  • If using food coloring, put 2 Tbsp of water and 1-2 drops of red food coloring in the bowl. Add the water chestnuts pieces into the red and another 100 gr of water chestnut into the blue food coloring. Let them soak while you prepare other things

Prepare coconut milk sauce:

  • Put all ingredients in a saucepan and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Don't let it boil over. Remove from the heat and keep it chilled in the fridge until ready to serve

Coat chestnuts with tapioca flour:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain off the red and blue liquid. Sprinkle the first 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the red rubies and another 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the blue ones. Toss them to coat with flour
  • Then add a second 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the red rubies and another 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on the blue ones. Toss them lightly to coat. Use a sieve to shake off excess flour. The rubies should be fully coated and white in color

Boil the rubies:

  • Put the rubies in the boiling water and stir to prevent the rubies from sticking to each other at the beginning. Let the water comes back to a boil and when the rubies float to the top, let them cook for another 2 minutes or so

Check for doneness:

  • The cooked rubies should be transparent. If you see lots of white specks, the rubies are not cooked through yet, let them cook for few more minutes

Soak in ice water:

  • Remove from the boiling water using a sieve and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process

To serve:

  • Portion out the red and blue rubbies and then ladle the chilled coconut milk sauce over. Add more ice cubes if you like and serve immediately

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
380
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Sodium
 
89
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
205
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
68
g
23
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
26
g
29
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
16
mg
2
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram
previous post
Easy Trishaw/ Rickshaw Noodle (拉车面)
next post
Mixed Nuts and Fruits Mooncake (Wu Ren Yue Bing) – No Golden Syrup

2 comments

Yanti January 16, 2024 - 7:42 am

Can it use corn flour instead of tapioca? Thank you!

Reply
Marvellina January 16, 2024 - 10:21 pm

Hello, unfortunately, No, it won’t give the chewy texture if you use corn starch/flour.

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Please feel free to ask questions here or leave your comments and ratings if you have tried the recipe! Your Email address will not be published!




Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello! I'm Marvellina!

I’m passionate about food—especially bold, comforting Asian flavors—and I love sharing approachable recipes and creative bakes with an Asian twist. So glad you’re here! LEARN MORE...

Our Favorites

  • How To Make Soft and Fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake (Complete Guide)

  • How to Make Basic Asian Rice Porridge (Congee)

  • Soft Fluffy Steamed Bao Buns Recipe (Baozi/Mantou)

  • Easy Authentic 10-Minute Hainanese Kaya Jam (Palm Sugar Kaya or Pandan Kaya)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

©2025 - What To Cook Today. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy & Disclosure Policy


Back To Top
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Let me know how you like the recipe and consider rating it!

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required