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Often called "pandan leaves" or "vanilla of Southeast Asia," pandanus leaves are a fragrant tropical plant used extensively in Southeast Asian cooking. Pandan leaves are bright green in colour with a sweet, flowery fragrance; the flavour is impressive, goes equally well with sweet and savoury dishes. Add both colour and a delectable flavour when used to make desserts. Often used raw, frozen, or in the form of extracts, these leaves bring a lot of options to the kitchen. Here are six dishes which show how adaptable pandan leaves are for making treats that are both visually pleasing and incredibly aromatic.
Thai Pandan Coconut Jelly
Thai Coconut Jelly or Wun Gati is a refreshment prepared with the flavours of fresh Coconut Pandan LeavesI. It is a wonderful treat visually as the dessert is bright green in colour. To begin, make a fragrant green drink by brewing pandan leaves in water to extract their essence. After that, combine the sugar, agar-agar powder, and pandan water; heat until everything dissolves. A layer of sweetened coconut milk is added for contrast after a portion of this mixture has been poured into a mould and allowed to solidify slightly. Pour the remaining pandan jelly mixture over the layers once they are solid. Cut into cubes to serve after chilling until completely set.
Pandan Mahalabia
A delicious take on the classic Middle Eastern milk pudding, pandan mahalabia adds the flavour of pandan leaves to the creamy treat. The dessert has a creamy texture plus a mildly sweet taste. The first step in making Pandan Mahalabia is to boil milk and sugar together until the sweetness blends well. Make pandan essence while the milk is heating up by combining steamed pandan leaves with a little amount of water, then filtering to remove the vibrant green liquid. After the milk has warmed up, thicken the liquid with a mixture of cornflour and water, and then add the pandan essence. Pour the custard into individual serving dishes or moulds after cooking until it is thick and velvety. Let it cool and solidify. When it's time to serve, top with your preferred honey or syrup and garnish with shredded coconut or almonds for texture.
Pandan Pudding in Coconut Cream
The richness of coconut cream and the brightness of pandan are combined in this delicious dish, which is called Pandan Pudding in Coconut Cream. Because it has a distinct taste and a really good appearance, this food is very much liked in so many Southeastern Asian countries. The first step in making this delicious custard is to produce pandan puree, which is made by blending fresh pandan leaves with water and sifting to extract the aromatic juice. Add sugar, coconut milk, pandan juice, and a thickening agent such as corn flour. Reduce heat and heat the mixture until smooth and thick like custard. After transferring the mixture into serving cups, allow it to cool until it solidifies. Make a rich coconut cream by combining coconut milk, sugar, and a teaspoon of salt, then slowly boiling it while the custard solidifies. Just before serving, cover the pandan pudding with the sweetened coconut cream.
Pandan Custard Cake
The Pandan Custard Cake is a fun dessert with a thin layer of bright green pandan custard and sponge cake. Due to its fragrance arising from the use of pandan leaves this cake is welcomed on any occasion when serving dessert and the cake has the additional feature of two layering. This cake can be made from a simple mixture of eggs, sugar, flour, and butter in order to prepare a sponge cake. Then, fold in the freshly extracted pandan juice to add colour and flavour. As the sponge bakes, make the pandan custard by boiling the egg yolks, sugar, and milk together and adding a thickening agent until the mixture is creamy. When the custard and sponge are both ready, combine them in a layer. Put the pandang custard on top of the baked sponge and let the flavours be soaked. Before serving, chill the cake so that the layers can blend smoothly.
Pandan Layer Cake
Pandan Layer Cake is a creative invention of incorporating the taste of pandan leaves in many layers making the cake creative, beautiful, and delicious. Layers of pandan-flavoured sponge are frequently interlaced with creamy fillings in this traditional Southeast Asian cake, giving it depth in flavour and texture. Making the pandan batter, which involves combining eggs, sugar, and flour with pandan juice to form a vibrant green mixture, is the first step in baking this cake. One layer at a time, the mixture is then placed into a cake pan. Cool the layers after baking, then make a rich buttercream or whipped cream filling that has been enhanced with more pandan essence. To make a rising, appealing cake, alternate the layers of pandan cake and filling. Once put together, use the creamy filling to frost the top and edges. For a visually appealing finish, garnish with toasted coconut or fresh fruit.
Image Credit: Flickr
Pandan Chiffon Cake
The Pandan Chiffon Cake is a popular treat because of its delicate texture and appealing aroma which is light and fluffy. This fluffy cake is popular in many Asian households owing to the unique taste of the used pandan leaves. Separating the egg yolks and whites is the first step in making this chiffon cake. To make a smooth batter, combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, frying oil, and pandan juice. Gently incorporate the egg whites into the yolk mixture after whipping them until soft peaks form in a different bowl. Fill a tube pan with the combined batter, then bake it until it is golden brown and cooked through. To keep the cake from collapsing after baking, invert the cake pan to let it cool. After the cake has cooled, remove it gently from the pan and serve it with extra coconut cream poured over it or dust it with icing sugar.
Image Credit: Flickr
