RECIPE: GREEN PEA FLOUR JELLY, PALM SUGAR AND COCONUT MILK SHAVED ICE DESSERT (AIS CENDOL)

I was over at my local Asian grocer when I saw some ready made green pea flour jelly or CENDOL (see also my GLOSSARY post on CENDOL). Not that it is hard to make this jelly; it is more to do with finding the time to do it. As it was, I still had to make the GULA MELAKA syrup but at least I saved on one step.


I have included the full recipe to make this delicious dessert. As you can see, it is very easy to make and so refreshing and delicious. Have you tried this dish with fresh milk instead of coconut milk? Trust me, it's just as nice. When I was at university in Penang, my girlfriend Lina Tan and I used to, without fail, have CENDOL every Saturday afternoon at this stall on Penang Road…..wonder if it is still there???


Ingredients

225g packet of mung bean flour (hon kwe flour) - see note below
Pandan paste (or use a combination of Pandan essence and green food colouring) - a few drops (see my GLOSSARY post on PANDAN LEAF)
Dark palm sugar (or Gula Melaka) - finely shaved and added to a small amount of hot water to make a thick pourable syrup (see my GLOSSARY post on PALM SUGAR and GULA MELAKA)
1 can coconut milk (see my note below)
Ice cubes - for cold ‘bath’ and to make shaved ice or to serve
Ice shaving machine - optional (see my post on ICE SHAVERS)

Method

Place some cold water in a large bowl and add plenty of ice to make a cooling bath.

Place a saucepan over low heat with about 100ml of hot water and slowly add the mung bean flour, stirring constantly.

Once the mixture is thick and paste-like in consistency, add a few drops of the pandan paste and remove from heat.

Put the paste in a wide colander or a large holed slotted spoon and push the paste through the colander/spoon directly into the ice bath. The green flour mixture will slip through the colander/spoon and harden when it drops into the cooling bath. These “green worms” or CENDOL are the key to making this dessert.

Assembly

To serve the CENDOL, layer the ingredients in a bowl or glass, starting with the CENDOL, then the shaved ice, drizzle with the palm sugar and top with 2 to 4 tbsp coconut milk.

Alternatively, if you don’t have an ice shaver, place ½ an inch of the palm sugar in a tall glass, top with 1 to 1 ½ inches of coconut milk, add 1 to 2 tbsp of the cendol, place plenty of ice in the glass and top the glass with cold water. Serve immedietly with a straw and a long spoon.

Note

* If you cannot find mung bean flour then use rice flour.

* The ‘green worms’ can be kept in the fridge, in a sealed container of cold water, for up to 3 days.

* You can also use crushed ice for this dessert. You can make crushed ice by using a blender.

* For a healthier version, subsitute the coconut milk with fresh milk - equally delicious and refreshing.