• ½ cup (100 g) lightly packed grated palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted
• 1 cup (125 ml) crushed ice – optional
• ¾ cup (95 g) cooked adzuki beans – optional
• 1 x 400 ml tin coconut milk

Pandan jelly

• 1/3 cup (55 g) rice flour
• 1½ tablespoons (15 g) tapioca starch
• 2 teaspoons pandan extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ice cubes

Put the sugar and pandan leaf in a small saucepan with ¼ cup (60 ml) water. Bring to the boil, then let it simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved to form a dark, caramel-like syrup. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, make the pandan jelly. Put the rice flour, tapioca starch, pandan extract, salt and 1½ cups (375 ml) water in a saucepan and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Place the jelly mixture over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and forms a very thick, glossy paste, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat and, holding a cheese grater with coarse holes over the bowl of iced water, drop a large dollop of jelly mixture onto the grater, then use a large spoon to press the jelly through the holes into the ice-cold water. Repeat until all the jelly is used up. Leave the jelly strands in the water for 15 minutes, before gently draining and placing in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve, place some crushed ice in each glass, if using. Add some adzuki beans, if using, then a scoop of pandan jelly. Pour in some coconut milk – the amount you use will depend on how creamy you like your cendol. Drizzle with a thin layer of syrup and serve right away.