← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 10 Pandan leaves, cut into short pieces
• 500 ml Water
• 50 g Rice flour
• 30 g Mung bean flour (hoen kwe)
• 1 tbsp Tapioca starch
• 1 pinch Salt
• iced water, for setting
• 200 g gula melaka (palm sugar), chopped
• 120 ml Water
• 1 Pandan leaves, tied in a knot
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 100 ml Water
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 Pandan leaves, tied in a knot
• 600 g shaved or crushed ice
• 1 can red beans or kidney beans (400 g), drained and rinsed (optional)

Method

1. Blend the pandan pieces with the 500 ml water until very fine, then strain through a muslin cloth or fine sieve, squeezing hard to get every drop of green juice.
2. Whisk the rice flour, mung bean flour, tapioca starch and salt into the pandan juice until smooth. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8–10 min. It turns thick, glossy and slightly translucent; keep stirring for 2 min more.
3. Set a big bowl of iced water under a cendol press, a colander with large holes or a potato ricer. Push the hot batter through so short green strands drop into the water. Leave them for 10 min to firm up, then drain and chill.
4. For the syrup, simmer the gula melaka, water and pandan knot over low heat for 8–10 min, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup coats a spoon. Strain and cool.
5. Warm the coconut milk, water, salt and pandan over low heat for 3 min, stirring, without letting it boil. Cool, remove the pandan and chill.
6. To serve, put a spoonful of cendol and beans (if using) in each bowl or glass, pile shaved ice on top, then pour over plenty of coconut milk and gula melaka syrup.

Tips

• Real gula melaka gives cendol its smoky caramel flavour; light brown sugar is a poor substitute, so look for it in Asian shops.
• The jelly is best eaten within a day; keep it in cold water in the fridge so the strands do not stick together.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Nyonya Cooking SBS Food Sift & Simmer