Cendol

Method

1. Make the ice bath first, since the pressing step moves fast once the batter is ready: fill a large bowl with very cold water and plenty of ice, and set it beside the stove with a potato ricer, or a colander with round holes about 3 to 4 mm across, resting over it.
2. In a saucepan, whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt with about a third of the measured water until smooth and free of lumps. Whisk in the pandan extract, then the rest of the water.
3. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or silicone spatula so it doesn’t catch on the bottom, until the mixture turns translucent green and thickens into a batter that coats the back of a spoon and holds a ribbon shape for a second when you lift the spatula. This takes 5 to 8 minutes; it goes from thin and cloudy to glossy and gloopy quite suddenly, so keep stirring right through that change.
4. Working quickly while the batter is still hot and pourable, spoon it in batches into the potato ricer held over the ice water and squeeze the handles to press it through. If using a colander instead, push the batter through the holes with the back of a ladle or a bowl scraper, keeping the colander close to the water’s surface so the strands don’t stretch and snap before they hit the ice. Each squeeze makes a short batch of noodles; work through all the batter this way, topping up the ice as it melts.
5. Let the noodles sit in the ice water for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up fully, then drain in a sieve. They should feel bouncy and slightly springy, not sticky. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
6. For the syrup, combine the chopped palm sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has fully dissolved and the syrup has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature; it thickens further as it cools.
7. To serve, divide the jelly noodles among 4 glasses. Fill each glass most of the way with shaved or crushed ice, pour over the coconut milk (stir the pinch of salt into it first, it sharpens the sweetness), then finish with a generous drizzle of the cooled palm sugar syrup. Serve with a long spoon and stir everything together before the first bite.

Notes

• A potato ricer is the easiest stand-in for a real cendol mold. Use the largest-holed disc it comes with, hold it well above the ice water, and squeeze firmly and steadily. A colander with round holes about 3 to 4 mm across works too if you don’t have a ricer; press the batter through with a rubber spatula rather than a spoon, which gives more control over how the strands fall.
• Pandan extract and paste are both worth buying at an Asian grocer rather than skipping: they’re the ingredient the dish is named for, and there’s no real stand-in for the color or the faint vanilla-grassy flavor. Extract is thinner and usually stronger, so start with less than you would use of paste and add to taste.
• Gula melaka (dark palm sugar) is also easy to find at Asian grocers in Germany, usually sold in blocks or discs. Dark brown sugar or muscovado sugar makes a genuine syrup if you can’t get it, but it tastes different: more caramel and molasses, less of palm sugar’s smoky depth. Use the same weight and the same method.
• The jelly noodles keep in the fridge, covered in a little water, for a day or two, though they firm up further and lose some of their bounce over time. Make the syrup ahead too; it keeps just as long. Assemble the glasses only right before serving, so the ice doesn’t melt into everything.

Sources Consulted

• Curious Cuisiniere, “Cendol (Iced Malaysian Dessert)”
• Takes Two Eggs, “Cendol (Che Banh Lot)”

From Christoph Mayer

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