Ingredients
Cendol
- 120 grice flour
- 40 gtapioca starch or mung bean starch
- 600 mlwater
- 6pandan leaves, blended and strained for juice
- a pinch of salt
- green colouring, optional
Coconut
- 600 mlcoconut milk
- 1pandan leaf, knotted
- a good pinch of salt
Syrup
- 250 ggula melaka or palm sugar
- 150 mlwater
- 1pandan leaf
To serve
- crushed ice
- sometimes red beans, sweetcorn or jackfruit
Equipment
- a cendol press, a colander with round holes, or a potato ricer
Directions
- Blend pandan leaves with water and strain the juice, which is bright green and strongly aromatic. That juice is the traditional colouring and it is what makes cendol smell as it should.
- Use pandan juice for flavour and add a drop of colouring if you want the bright green. Whisk the flours into the water and pandan juice until completely smooth. Never add dry flour to hot liquid, which forms lumps that will not disperse.
- Cook it over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir without stopping, since it thickens suddenly and catches instantly. It will go from milky liquid to thick, glossy and translucent. Cook it until it is thick, smooth and glossy, and it should hold its shape briefly on a spoon. Too thin and the worms dissolve in the water, too thick and it will not go through the holes.
- Keep cooking for a further three or four minutes once thickened, so the raw flour taste goes. The water must be genuinely cold, since it is what sets the noodles instantly. Warm water gives soft noodles that break apart.
- Work quickly while the batter is hot, since it stiffens as it cools and will not press. Push the hot batter through a cendol press, a colander with round holes, or a potato ricer, held above the iced water.
- Press firmly and steadily rather than slowly. Do not try to make them long, since short is correct. Keep the pan over a low heat while you work. Leave the noodles in the iced water for a few minutes to firm up, then drain them. Keep them in cold water until you assemble the dish, since they stick together as they sit. Melt the palm sugar with water and a pandan leaf into a thick dark syrup.
- Strain it, since palm sugar often contains grit and fibre. It should be thick enough to pour slowly rather than run like water. Warm the coconut milk gently with a knotted pandan leaf and a good pinch of salt. Never let it boil, since it splits into oil and curds.
- Let it cool completely before assembling. Put crushed ice in a glass, add the drained cendol, pour the coconut milk over and drizzle the syrup on top. Serve it immediately with a spoon, and stir it before drinking.
Technique
- The batter is pressed hot through holes into iced water, which sets the shape.
- The vivid green of commercial cendol is generally artificial colouring.
- The salt in the coconut milk is what stops it tasting cloying.
Substitutions
- Tapioca starch in place of mung bean starch.
- A potato ricer or a colander in place of a cendol press.
Variations
- With red beans, which is common in Malaysia.
- With jackfruit or sweetcorn added.
- Cendol durian, with durian flesh.
History
Sold from carts across Java; the name comes from jendol, the bump of the noodles under the tongue.
Frequently asked questions
What is Es Cendol?
Es Cendol is a dessert from Indonesia: green rice-flour worms in coconut milk with palm sugar syrup and ice. Sold from carts across Java; the name comes from jendol, the bump of the noodles under the tongue.
How long does Es Cendol take to make?
Es Cendol takes 40 min plus chilling of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Es Cendol?
Yes, within limits. Tapioca starch in place of mung bean starch. A potato ricer or a colander in place of a cendol press.
What is the most important thing to get right in Es Cendol?
Use pandan juice for flavour and add a drop of colouring if you want the bright green. Whisk the flours into the water and pandan juice until completely smooth. Never add dry flour to hot liquid, which forms lumps that will not disperse.
