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Loading...This beloved Indonesian street dessert layers shaved ice with silky coconut milk, fragrant palm sugar syrup, and a colorful mix of jellies, beans, and tropical fruits. It's the ultimate refresher on a hot day, balancing creamy, chewy, and fruity textures in every spoonful. Build it in tall glasses so every layer gets a moment in the spotlight.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings4
Yield4 tall glasses
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 485 kcalCalories
- 18 gFat
- 13 gSaturated Fat
- 78 gCarbs
- 5 gFiber
- 52 gSugar
- 5 gProtein
- 95 mgSodium
- 520 mgPotassium
- 85 mgCalcium
- 2.5 mgIron
- 9 mgVitamin C
- 90 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the grass jelly
- 1 packet (25 g) instant grass jelly powder
- 750 ml water
- 2 tbsp palm sugar, roughly chopped
For the palm sugar syrup
- 200 g dark palm sugar, finely chopped
- 150 ml water
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted
For the coconut milk sauce
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
For the toppings
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
- 150 g ripe jackfruit, shredded into bite-size strips
- 100 g cooked sweet corn kernels
- 150 g cooked red kidney beans, lightly sweetened
- 100 g small tapioca pearls, cooked and rinsed
- Crushed ice or shaved ice, to fill the glasses
- Sweetened condensed milk, for drizzling
Directions
- Make the grass jelly: Whisk the grass jelly powder into 250 ml of cold water in a saucepan until smooth, then stir in the remaining 500 ml water and palm sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes until thickened and glossy. Pour into a lightly oiled square pan, let cool, then refrigerate until firm; cut into 1 cm cubes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the palm sugar syrup: combine the palm sugar, water, and pandan leaves in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove the pandan leaves and let cool.
- Make the coconut milk sauce: pour the coconut milk into a saucepan with the salt and pandan leaf. Warm gently over low heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2-3 minutes more until lightly thickened. Remove the pandan leaf and let cool to room temperature; chill until cold.
- Prep the toppings: dice the avocado just before assembling so it stays bright, shred the jackfruit, drain the sweet corn and kidney beans, and rinse the cooked tapioca pearls under cold water. If the tapioca pearls have firmed up, give them a quick 30-second soak in hot water to soften.
- Assemble the dessert: fill each tall glass with a layer of grass jelly, then add a spoonful each of tapioca pearls, kidney beans, sweet corn, avocado, and jackfruit. Pack shaved ice generously over the top, mounding it high.
- Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of palm sugar syrup over the ice, followed by 3-4 tablespoons of cold coconut milk sauce. Finish with a generous zigzag of sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately with a long spoon and a wide straw.
- Taste and adjust each glass: if you prefer it sweeter, add more condensed milk; for a deeper caramel note, drizzle extra palm sugar syrup. The dessert is best eaten right away while the ice is still crunchy and the fruit is cold.
Cook’s Notes
- For the snowiest texture, use a true shaved-ice machine or crush ice cubes in a powerful blender until powdery; cubed ice won't give the same melt-in-your-mouth feel.
- Substitute canned grass jelly (cut into cubes) if you don't want to make the jelly from scratch; a 400 g can is plenty for four servings.
- Cook the tapioca pearls just before assembling and keep them in a little cool sugar water so they stay soft and glossy rather than turning chewy and dry.
- To make it vegan, swap the sweetened condensed milk for a drizzle of thick coconut cream and a touch of coconut sugar; the dessert will still be luscious.
- Always chill the coconut milk sauce and palm sugar syrup thoroughly before pouring – cold syrups will keep the ice from melting too quickly and watering down the flavors.
