Cendol

Cendol is Malaysia's iconic iced dessert – a refreshing bowl of green, pandan-infused rice noodle strips, creamy coconut milk, crushed ice, and a dark, caramel-like palm sugar syrup called gula melaka. It's the perfect cool-down on a hot day: sweet, cool, and slightly salty from the coconut milk, all at once. Here, we use pre-made cendol strips, so you can quickly assemble an authentic bowl. Feel free to adjust the amount of ice and syrup to your taste.

• Cuisine: Malaysian
• Time: 20 min
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make the gula melaka syrup: roughly chop about 150 g palm sugar and place it in a small saucepan with 1 dl water. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar is completely melted and the syrup is thick and dark. Let it cool.
2. Rinse the cendol strips briefly in cold water and drain them. Add a few drops of pandan extract if you want them extra green and fragrant.
3. Stir the coconut milk with a small pinch of salt to achieve the classic sweet-salty balance. Use it cold.
4. Finely crush the ice - either in an ice crusher or by pounding ice cubes in a clean kitchen towel.
5. Distribute the cendol strips at the bottom of four tall glasses or bowls.
6. Top with a large handful of crushed ice in each glass.
7. Pour plenty of cold coconut milk over the ice, allowing it to seep down between the strips.
8. Finish with a good splash of gula melaka syrup on top, and serve immediately with a spoon, while it's still ice-cold.

Tips

• Prepare the syrup and coconut milk in advance and chill them, so the dessert can be assembled in an instant.
• For the most traditional version, you can add a layer of sweet red beans to the bottom of the glass.
• Use plenty of crushed ice – cendol must be ice-cold to taste right.