Ingredients
Red beans
- 200 gdried red kidney beans, soaked
- 80 gsugar
- a pinch of salt
Toppings
- 200 gsweetcorn kernels
- 150 gattap chee, palm seeds, in syrup
- 150 ggrass jelly, cubed
- 100 gcendol, green rice flour strands, optional
- roasted peanuts, chopped
Syrups
- 150 mlrose syrup, bandung
- 100 mlgula melaka syrup
- 100 mlevaporated milk
- or condensed milk
Ice
- a large block of ice, or plenty of ice cubes
Equipment
- an ice shaving machine, or a strong blender
Directions
- Soak the red beans overnight in cold water. Drain them and rinse them well. Put them in a pot with fresh water.
- Bring them to a hard boil for ten minutes. Boiling them hard for ten minutes destroys it. Simmer them for about an hour until soft. Add the sugar and salt near the end.
- Cook them down until they are sweet and thick. Let the beans cool down completely. Drain them and set them aside. Grass jelly is sold ready-made in tins. Turn it out and cut it into small cubes. Chop the roasted peanuts roughly. Chop the palm sugar finely first.
- Put it in a pan with a splash of water. Add a knotted pandan leaf if you have one. Melt it over a low heat into a thick syrup. Strain it, since palm sugar often has grit in it.
- Let the syrup cool down completely. A proper ice shaving machine gives fine soft snow. Blend it in short bursts and do not overfill. Check yours before you attempt it. Assembling it is done bowl by bowl.
- Put the toppings in the bottom of the bowl first. Spoon in red beans, sweetcorn and attap chee. Add grass jelly cubes and cendol. Toppings underneath stay cold and do not slide off.
- Heap the ice up really generously. It should look like a small snowy hill. Pour the syrups over the shaved ice. Pour rose syrup first for the pink colour. Scatter chopped peanuts over the top. Serving it is done immediately. Make those ahead and assemble to order.
Technique
- Air batu campur, ice kacang and other names all describe the same family of shaved ice desserts across Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
- Attap chee, the nipa palm seed, is one of the distinctive toppings and is sold in jars.
Substitutions
- Tinned sweetened red beans save the long cooking entirely.
- Any combination of jellies, beans and fruit works, since stalls vary the toppings freely.
Variations
- Some stalls add durian, jackfruit or mango.
- A version topped with a scoop of ice cream is common.
- Cendol is a related dessert built on the green strands with coconut milk and palm sugar.
History
Brunei’s version of the Malay world’s iced dessert, sold at Gadong night market and Ramadan stalls.
Frequently asked questions
What is Air Batu Campur?
Air Batu Campur is a dessert from Brunei: shaved ice heaped with beans, jelly, sweetcorn and coloured syrups. Brunei’s version of the Malay world’s iced dessert, sold at Gadong night market and Ramadan stalls.
How long does Air Batu Campur take to make?
Air Batu Campur takes 40 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Air Batu Campur?
Yes, within limits. Tinned sweetened red beans save the long cooking entirely. Any combination of jellies, beans and fruit works, since stalls vary the toppings freely.
What is the most important thing to get right in Air Batu Campur?
Let the syrup cool down completely. A proper ice shaving machine gives fine soft snow. Blend it in short bursts and do not overfill. Check yours before you attempt it. Assembling it is done bowl by bowl.
