This tantalizing fresh orange Jello (jelly) is set with agar-agar, a vegetable-based alternative to gelatin that is extracted from a special type of seaweed.

2 cups fresh orange juice

3 teaspoons agar-agar powder

1 tablespoon superfine (caster) sugar

12 canned lychees

1 cup canned pineapple pieces in natural juice (reserving 4 tablespoons of juice)

PLACE the orange juice in a small saucepan and sprinkle the agar-agar evenly over the surface. BRING to the boil slowly over a medium-high heat, without stirring, and boil for 5 minutes. ADD the sugar and stir until it dissolves, then remove from the heat. POUR the mixture into a shallow square/rectangular container. CHILL in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours until set. CUT the orange agar-agar into cubes and serve in the middle of each bowl surrounded by the lychees and pineapple and drizzled with the reserved juice.

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