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How to cook Chendol

Chendol is a Singapore shaved-ice dessert made with soft green pandan jelly strands, sweet red beans, rich coconut milk and fragrant gula melaka syrup. This home version uses a rice flour dough pressed into iced water to make the jelly, so no special moulds are needed.

Ingredients

For the pandan jelly strands

• 6 pandan leaves, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 300 ml water, for blending the pandan
• 50 g rice flour
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tbsp mung bean starch or extra tapioca starch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil (neutral cooking oil), for greasing the pan
• 1 large bowl ice water (about 1 litre water plus a handful of ice cubes)

For the gula melaka syrup

• 150 g gula melaka (palm sugar), chopped
• 100 ml water
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted

For the coconut milk

• 250 ml thick coconut milk
• 60 ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional)

To assemble

• 150 g canned or pre-cooked sweet red beans (adzuki), drained
• approx. 800 g ice, for shaving or finely crushing
• 50 g canned sweet corn kernels, drained (optional)

Steps

1. Blend the pandan juice5 min
   Blend the pandan pieces with 300 ml water for 1 to 2 minutes until the leaves are very fine. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, pressing hard to extract all the green liquid. You need about 250 ml of juice; discard the pulp.
2. Mix the jelly batter5 min
   In a medium non-stick saucepan, whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, mung bean starch and salt with the pandan juice until completely smooth with no lumps. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the starches hydrate.
3. Cook the batter9 min
   Set the pan over low to medium heat and stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the base. After 5 to 8 minutes the mixture will thicken suddenly and turn glossy and translucent, pulling away from the sides as a thick, sticky dough. Keep stirring 1 more minute, then remove from heat.
4. Prepare the ice bath and press the strands10 min
   Place a large bowl of ice water on the counter. Grease a potato ricer, or a colander with large holes (about 4 to 5 mm), with a little oil. While the dough is hot, spoon it into the ricer or colander and press or push it with a spatula so short, worm-like strands drop straight into the ice water. Work in 2 to 3 batches.
5. Chill the jelly5 min
   Leave the strands in the ice water for 5 minutes until firm and set. Drain well in a sieve. If not using immediately, keep covered in the fridge in a little fresh cold water.
6. Make the gula melaka syrup10 min
   Combine the chopped gula melaka, 100 ml water and the knotted pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Discard the pandan leaf, strain the syrup through a sieve to remove any grit, and let it cool.
7. Warm the coconut milk5 min
   In a small pot over low heat, warm the coconut milk with 60 ml water, the salt and the knotted pandan leaf, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until just steaming. Do not let it boil, or it may split. Remove the pandan leaf and chill the coconut milk in the fridge until cold.
8. Shave or crush the ice3 min
   Shave the ice with an ice shaver, or place ice cubes in a thick clean cloth bag or in a blender in short bursts until the texture is fine and snowy. Work quickly and keep the ice in the freezer until serving.
9. Assemble the bowls3 min
   Divide the red beans, pandan jelly strands and sweet corn (if using) among 4 chilled bowls. Mound a generous amount of shaved ice on top of each.
10. Top and serve
    Pour about 60 ml chilled coconut milk over each mound, then drizzle with 2 to 3 tbsp gula melaka syrup. Serve immediately before the ice melts, and stir gently from the bottom as you eat.

Tips

• Use a non-stick pan for the jelly dough and keep stirring; it sticks and lumps quickly once it starts to thicken.
• If the strands are too thick, use a colander with smaller holes, and keep the dough hot while pressing, as cooled dough will not push through.
• Chill the bowls and coconut milk beforehand so the ice lasts longer.
• Gula melaka varies in sweetness and saltiness; taste the syrup and add a splash more water if it is too intense.
• Make the jelly, syrup and coconut milk ahead, then shave the ice only when ready to serve.

Food safety and allergens

Keep the coconut milk and pandan jelly refrigerated and use them within 1 day, as coconut milk spoils quickly at room temperature. Use ice made from clean drinking water, since it is eaten directly.

Watch it being made

• Chendol From Scratch | Old Amoy ChendolOGS · 391,575 views · YouTube
• Agar Agar Cendol Gula Melaka | Coconut Milk Cendol Pudding | Malaysian No 1 Desserta pinch of salt by sara · 226,558 views · YouTube
• Brown Sugar Cendol Drink with Homemade Cendol | MyKitchen101enMyKitchen101en · 134,481 views · YouTube

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