Recipe: Es cendol

Es cendol is an Indonesian drink made from rice flour served with coconut milk, sugar palm and ice cubes or shaved ice. While Indonesian people drink es cendol as a nice refreshment, a lot of Westerners like es cendol as dessert. All around Indonesia, es cendol is sold at hawker stalls.

Ingredients for cendol

• 125 gr / 4½ oz rice flour
• 50 gr / 2 oz sago flour
• 75 cc / 2½ oz pandan leaves water (boil water with pandan leaves until it has green color)
• 450 cc / 15 oz water
• salt as needed

Cendol being sold at a hawker stall

Other ingredients for cendol

• 200 gr / 7 oz palm sugar, boil with 125 cc / 4 oz of water until it dissolves. Strain the palm sugar water and boil again. Set your cendol aside.
• 500 cc / 17 oz coconut milk. Boil and set aside to cool.
• 1 can of jackfruit in syrup, cut into small bite-sized pieces (optional)

How to make cendol

1. Mix rice flour and sago flour, then mix it with some of the water.
2. Boil the rest of the water, add green pandan leaves water and salt.
3. Put the flour mixtures into the boiled water.
4. Stir well and cook until it thickens (paste-like).
5. Drain with special cendol strain (usually the strainer has round holes), so when we press the cendol mixture it will go out of the strain as roundish short cendol.
6. Put these cendol directly into a bowl with water and ice in it.
7. Cendol will be solid and then drain them again. Set aside.

How to serve cendol

Put some cendol into a tall glass, pour palm sugar syrup and coconut milk (separate layers). You can add shaved ice or just ice cubes.

Variations on cendol

Add some jackfruit to your cendol, cut into small cubes.

Serve your home made cendol to your guests and make an impression.

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