Cendol is an icy, Malaysian dessert. In different regions, it has different names. In Vietnam it's che ba mau, in Thailand it's lot chong, in Java it's dawet and in Burma it's mont let saung. It's basically a specially made jelly with base layers and toppings, and crushed ice to top it off, serve usually in a long glass. It's a bit like a falooda, bringing together different ingredients in a way that’s impressive when it all comes together. So follow this quick dessert recipe and make your own cendol. Serve to your guests once youve got the hang of making it. It's sure to impress your guests. Not only will they be eating a fresh, new dessert, they will be savoring among the best desserts that Asia has to offer.
Ingredients
For the cendol jellies:
- 50 gm cornstarch
- 10 gm mung bean starch
- 10 gm wheat starch
- 30 gm granulated cane sugar
- 400 ml water
- 70 g pandan leaves
- 1/4 tsp green pandan extract
- 1/4 tsp lye water
For the sugar syrup:
- 100 gm palm sugar
- 100 ml water
For the dessert:
- cooked red azuki beans
- cooked yellow mung beans
- coconut milk
- crushed ice
Directions:
- First, make the cendol jelly. Place ice in a large bowl, creating an ice bath. Add the cornstarch, mung bean starch, wheat starch, granulated cane sugar, water, pandan leaves, green pandan extract and lye water in a pan. Turn the heat on on high and stir the mixture. Once it starts to thicken, lower the heat and continue to cook it. It will become a translucent paste. Cook for a few more minutes. Then remove from heat and place the paste on a potato ricer. Then, little by little, squeeze the paste through the rices on the ice bath. The resultant cendol noodles should be fully submerged in the ice water. Leave the cendol in the ice water for 20 minutes. Then drain the cendol and place in the fridge.
- Now prepare the sugar syrup. In a small pan, add the palm sugar and water and heat it until thickened, stirring frequently. Then transfer to a jar and set aside to cool.
- Now it's time to assemble the dessert in a bowl or glass. Or, if you’re serving to guests, you can also use several small serving glasses or jars. First, add a layer of azuki red beans. On that, add the yellow mung beans. Next, add the cendol jellies. Next, add the crushed ice. Drizzle the coconut milk and sugar syrup on top.
- Serve cold.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- If you don't have a potato ricer, you can also use a special cendol maker or food mill. The idea is to get those thin, noodle-like shapes for the cendol jellies. They can also be made with a big strainer which has large holes, by placing the mixture in it and slowly pushing it down. Or, if you don't have any equipment on hand, then you can also use a plastic bag. Fill the mixture in a plastic bag, snip a tiny hole on one side, and slowly and carefully squeeze out each individual noodle. Remember, they are similar in size to noodles but are slightly shorter.
- If you want a simpler dessert, you can skip the lower layers. Simply place the cendol jellies in a bowl and top with coconut milk and the sugar syrup.
- Leftover cendol can be transferred to an air tight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Avoid freezing it.
- Since the cendol is essentially just a paste that’s being squeezed out, it can be a bit thick. If you like, you can add some instant jelly powder, as an improvisation, for a stronger texture. But this is not traditionally done, so you can skip it if you're looking for something more authentic.
- The cendol is topped with crushed ice. This is essentially a finely shaved ice that is important to the overall taste of the cendol. But if you don't have that, you can crush ice in a blender. If you do have an ice shaver, however, then you can also freeze the coconut milk and shave it on the cendol to a more concentrated coconut flavour.