How to make Ice Cendol (Chendol, Es Cendol)

Cendol is a traditional dessert originating from South East Asia which is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Southern Thailand (where it is called lortchorng Singapore).

In Vietnamese cuisine, a similar dish is called che ba mau.

The dessert’s basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour with green food coloring (usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar.

Next to these basic recipe, other ingredients such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also included.

In Singapore, you can find this dessert available almost at most hawker centers or foodcourts. My favourite visit for this particular dessert will be at the Tekka Market which is located in Little India. Althought it has a strong caramel and coconut creamy taste, it preserves the “kick”” in it.

But for those who want to experiment your own skill of making it, here is the recipe.

Recipe for Ice Cendol (Chendol, Es Cendol)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of betel leaf, soaked in 1 cup water, let it settle 1-2 hours, you will only need the water (you may skip this part if there are no betel leaf available)
• 120 g mung bean flour (the green bean / mung bean starch / flour)
• 1 tbsp corn starch / starch (or any kind of starch will do, for example potato starch, maize / corn starch Tapioca starch)
• 800 ml water 200 ml water
• 50 g sugar
• little salt
• 1/4 tsp pandan paste
• 1 pandan leaves, tie the knot
• Ice water ice cubes

Method:

1. Boil 800 ml of water, sugar, salt, and pandan leaves
2. Combine flour with remaining water a second, add pandan paste
3. Add the flour, stirring quickly because the starch will thickened and pop
4. Turn off the stove, let cool a little dough
5. Pour in ice water and ice cubes in a bowl, give whiting water, stir well
6. Place the mold on the water, ice (I use the potato ricer), pour the dough, press / filter
7. Discard water, rinse, place in container, and refrigerate until use.

Recipe for Red Sugar syrup of palm sugar

Ingredients:

• 1 / 3 cup sugar
• 2 brown sugar water again
• A little vanilla essence

Method:

1. Make a caramel first. Pour the water as soon as possible, watch out for the steam, it is very hot. Stir to dissolve.
2. Add the brown sugar, and add water as needed.
3. Simmer until the sugar dissolve and filter if necessary.
4. Let it cool and chill.

Recipe for Coconut milk

Ingredients:

• 1 400 ml can of coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• 1 pandan leaf, tie the knot Method

Method:

1. Bring coconut milk, a dash of salt, add in screwpine leaf to a boil.
2. Chill it.
3. To serve: spoon cendol, sugar liquid and coconut milk into serving glass. Serve, enjoy!