Gula Melaka Chendol - Ice Cream Recipe

Make gula melaka syrup

Place the chopped gula melaka, water and dark brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts and comes to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8–10 minutes until syrup thickens slightly and the flavors concentrate.

Add a pinch of sea salt, taste and adjust sweetness. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any solids. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Reserve about 120–150 ml for folding into ice cream base and the rest for serving/drizzling.

Prepare pandan infusion (if using leaves)

If using pandan leaves, tie them into a knot and simmer in 150 ml of the 450 ml water for 5 minutes to extract aroma. Remove from heat, discard leaves and let the pandan water cool. Use this pandan-infused water as part of the 450 ml total water; otherwise use plain water plus pandan juice/paste.

Make chendol batter and cook

In a bowl, whisk the mung bean starch (or rice flour) with the remaining water until fully dissolved and lump-free. Stir in pandan juice or the pandan-infused water and a pinch of salt. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens into a smooth, glossy paste (2–4 minutes).

Form chendol noodles

Immediately press the hot thick paste through a chendol press or a fine-holed sieve/colander into a bowl of ice water to form short green jelly 'noodles'. Chill in ice water until firm, then drain and set aside in the refrigerator.

Warm dairy and combine

In a medium saucepan, warm the coconut milk and whole milk with half the granulated sugar (35 g) and the pinch of salt over medium heat until steam appears (do not boil). Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Whisk egg yolks

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 35 g sugar until slightly thickened and pale.

Temper yolks and make custard

Slowly ladle about 120 ml of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking to temper. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 6–8 minutes). Do not boil.

Finish ice cream base

Remove from heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and about 120–150 ml of the cooled gula melaka syrup (adjust to taste for sweetness and palm-sugar intensity). Taste and adjust — you want a pronounced palm-sugar flavor but balanced with coconut. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any solids.

Chill custard

Cover the custard surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions until thick and soft-set (20–30 minutes typical). During the last 5 minutes of churning, drizzle an additional 2–3 tbs of gula melaka syrup into the churn to create ribbons of palm-sugar swirl.

Freeze

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, swirl in any remaining gula melaka syrup if desired, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

To serve a chendol-inspired ice cream bowl, place a scoop or two of the gula melaka coconut ice cream in a bowl. Top with a handful of chilled chendol strands, a spoonful of extra gula melaka syrup, shaved or crushed ice if you like the classic texture, and sprinkle toasted grated coconut and chopped roasted peanuts for contrast.

Alternatively, serve as composed dessert: layer crushed ice, chendol strands, a generous drizzle of gula melaka syrup, and scoops of the ice cream. Serve immediately.