Homemade Cendol II



Colour enhanced with the presense of alkaline water

 I haven't been making cendol for a long long time. It's time now.

I have found the texture I like. The missing link was cornstarch, LOL. So common that anyone from anywhere can make this at home now. Before this I was asked many times about mung bean starch (green bean flour) saying it's not available in their countries. From my experience of making kuih tako of which cornstarch yields a softer texture, I thought, could I use cornstarch for cendol? I’m glad that this blog confirmed my thoughts for the use of cornstarch. Cendol made with only mung bean starch is too firm for my liking, a bit too “crispy”. Although traditional cendol is made with rice flour, it is brittle. So, when I tried using cornstarch, that was it!

I experimented in small batches by using only cornstarch and by mixing both cornstarch with bean starch. I prefer the latter.

I made a few batches, some using alkaline water, some using food colouring, some using pandan paste, some additive free. You can compare the pictures here and see which one do you like. For me, the best colour is pandan juice + alkaline water. It looks fresh and natural.

FYI, ever wonder why the vegetables that comes with your noodles always remain green?? And vibrantly green? Wheat noodles are made using some alkaline/lye water and the water they are cooked in will have traces of that. When the vegetables are cooked in the same water, it stays beautifully green.

My previous recipe uses cup to measure and I do think it may cause difference in texture just in case one wrongly does it. Weighing is always the best choice.

Colour enhanced by adding in a small amount of green food colouring

Homemade Cendol II

Recipe source: WendyinKK

50gm mung bean starch
50gm cornstarch
600ml pandan juice + 1 drop alkaline water

Or
100gm cornstarch
500ml pandan juice + 1 drop alkaline water

1. Prepare a basin of ice water, keep it in the fridge. Or, prepare a basin of water and another container of ice cube ready (keep in freezer). Prepare oven mittens and a food grade plastic bag (like ziplock or HDPE bags), and scissors, ready at your working spot.
2. Combine everything and cook on medium low heat, stirring gently all the time, until it turns thick, translucent and glossy.
3. Bring out your basin of ice water.
4. Immediately transfer the hot starch mixture into the plastic bag (wear mittens on your working hand. See here).
5. Snip one corner of the bag (about 3mm) and squeeze the contents into the ice water. See picture here.
6. Leave the cendol ‘noodles’ in the ice water for 15 minutes. Strain and it’s ready for use

*You can use the microwave to cook cendol, make half the amount and zap it 20 sec and stir. Repeat zapping and stirring until you can see the mixture glossy and some small bubbles in the mixture.
**to keep cendol, please keep them submerged in water in the fridge*
***the colour of my pandan juice is like the 3rd extraction here