Name: Nyonyas Chendol Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Ingredients: 1 cups rice flour; 0.25 cups mung bean starch (or tapioca starch); 1 cups pandan juice (blended pandan leaves, strained); 1.25 cups water; 2 tbs granulated sugar; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 tsp vegetable oil (for greasing); 200 g gula melaka (palm sugar) or dark brown sugar; 0.5 cups water; 1 piece pandan leaf (optional, knotted); 0.125 tsp salt; 2 cups full-fat coconut milk; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 tbs granulated sugar (optional, to taste); 3 cups crushed ice or shaved ice

Method

Chendol (green rice flour jelly)

Prepare pandan juice

If you haven't prepared pandan juice: wash 6–8 pandan leaves, chop roughly and blend with 1 cup water until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to yield about 1 cup pandan juice. Reserve solids for another use.

Mix dry and wet ingredients

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup mung bean or tapioca starch, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Slowly whisk in 1 cup pandan juice and 1 1/4 cups water until smooth and lump-free.

Cook the batter

Transfer the batter to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until mixture thickens to a translucent, paste-like, glossy dough (about 6–8 minutes). It should be thick enough to hold its shape but still pliable.

Adjust texture

If mixture is too stiff, add up to 1–2 tablespoons water and stir to soften. If too loose, cook a bit longer until it becomes cohesive and slightly translucent.

Press into mold

Lightly grease a shallow tray or a chendol press with 1 tsp vegetable oil. While the dough is still hot and pliable, transfer to the fitted hopper of a chendol press (or a colander/ice-cream sieve with medium holes or a potato ricer). Immediately press the dough through into a bowl of cold water or an ice bath to form noodle-like strands. The cold water firms the jelly and prevents sticking.

Rinse and chill

Let the pressed strands sit in the cold water for 5 minutes, then gently rinse to remove excess starch. Keep refrigerated in cold water until ready to assemble.

Gula Melaka syrup (palm sugar sauce)

Chop 200 g gula melaka or break into small pieces. Combine with 1/2 cup water and 1 knotted pandan leaf in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir as it warms to dissolve sugar. Once it reaches a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer 6–8 minutes until syrup thickens slightly. Taste and add 1/8 tsp salt to balance and deepen flavor.

Remove pandan leaf and strain syrup through a fine sieve to remove impurities. Let the syrup cool; it will thicken further as it cools. If too thick, dilute with a little hot water to reach pourable consistency.

Coconut milk & finishing

In a small saucepan, warm 2 cups full-fat coconut milk with 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) over low heat just until fragrant — do not boil — to dissolve sugar and season. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then chill if desired.

Assembly: For each serving (makes about 4 servings total), place about 3/4 cup crushed/shaved ice into a serving bowl or glass. Drain a generous handful (about 1/3 cup) of chendol strands from the cold water and arrange them over the ice.

Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of gula melaka syrup over the chendol and ice (adjust to taste). Pour about 1/2 cup chilled coconut milk over the top. Stir lightly before eating so the syrup swirls with the coconut milk and green jelly.

Serve immediately with extra syrup on the side. Leftover chendol jelly can be stored in sealed container covered with cold water in the fridge for 1–2 days; change water daily. Gula melaka syrup keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.