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Loading...Cendol is Malaysia's beloved shaved-ice dessert starring springy pandan-green rice flour noodles drenched in fragrant palm sugar syrup and chilled coconut milk. Cool, sweet, and refreshingly aromatic, it is the perfect way to beat tropical heat. Each bowl layers textures from chewy jelly to creamy coconut and melting ice.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 430 kcalCalories
- 18 gFat
- 14 gSaturated Fat
- 66 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 48 gSugar
- 4 gProtein
- 170 mgSodium
- 380 mgPotassium
- 65 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 4 mgVitamin C
- 0 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the pandan cendol jelly
- 100 g mung bean starch
- 600 ml fresh pandan juice (about 12 leaves blended with 600 ml water, strained)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large bowl ice-cold water for setting
For the palm sugar syrup
- 200 g gula melaka (palm sugar), finely chopped
- 150 ml water
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted
For the coconut milk sauce
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 100 ml water
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
For assembling
- 800 g finely shaved or crushed ice
- 150 g cooked sweetened red beans, drained
- 120 g canned sweet corn kernels, drained
- 4 tbsp attap chee (optional)
Directions
- Make the cendol batter: In a saucepan, whisk mung bean starch with pandan juice and salt until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Cook the cendol: Place over medium heat and whisk constantly for 4-6 minutes until the mixture turns glossy, thick, and translucent. Transfer immediately into a squeeze bottle or a metal colander with wide holes.
- Press the hot batter through the bottle or colander directly into the bowl of ice water in long thin strands; let sit 2 minutes to set, then drain and refrigerate until needed.
- Prepare the palm sugar syrup: Combine chopped gula melaka, water, and pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Simmer gently for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves into a lightly thickened syrup. Remove the pandan leaf and keep warm.
- Make the coconut sauce: In another saucepan, combine coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, and salt. Warm over low heat for 3-4 minutes until just steaming and fragrant; do not let it boil. Remove from heat.
- To assemble each bowl: mound about 200 g shaved ice into a chilled cup or bowl. Top with 2 tablespoons red beans, 1 tablespoon sweet corn, a generous handful of cendol strands, and attap chee if using.
- Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of warm palm sugar syrup over the ice, then finish with a generous pour of coconut milk sauce. Serve immediately with a long spoon and straw.
- Stir everything together just before eating so every spoonful gets a balance of jelly, beans, syrup, and coconut milk.
Cook’s Notes
- Mung bean starch gives the snappiest, classic cendol chew; rice flour works but yields a softer noodle.
- If fresh pandan is unavailable, replace pandan juice with water plus 1 tsp pandan essence for color and aroma.
- Always press the hot cendol batter directly into ice water to lock in the bright green color and set the strands quickly.
- Never boil the coconut milk or it will split and look grainy; keep the heat low and remove as soon as it steams.
- Cendol jelly keeps up to 2 days submerged in cold water in the fridge, making it perfect for advance prep.
