Craving for cendol and durian at the same time? Why not try cendol durian? It is a dessert that can be consumed all year round, but most prefer to have it during the hotter months as it is very cooling. This sweet dessert can be purchased from a stall or made at home. Do read till the end for the homemade cendol durian recipe.
What is Cendol Durian?
Cendol is a layered ice dessert that is served on shaved ice, with worm-like green rice flour jelly, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk on top. This dessert is commonly found in Southeast Asia countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
In some places, you might find additional toppings, such as azuki beans, grass jelly, mung beans, glutinous rice, sweet corn, and durians. Adding on a generous amount of durians will give you a tasty, cooling bowl of cendol durian. This is suitable to be eaten all year round, especially during the hotter months.
Other types of cendol includes: cendol pulut (glutinous rice), cendol bandung, cendol kacang (red beans), cendol jagung (sweet corn), and cendol campur (assorted).
Cendol durian is high in proteins, fat, carbohydrates, and calories. The ingredients used are a huge contributor to the sweetness of this dessert. For instance, the gula melaka and coconut milk makes the dessert higher in fat and sugar level.
This dessert is a must have if you are travelling to Southeast Asia and is a huge fan of durians. Despite it being sweet, it is still delicious with every mouth and will not make anyone feel jelak .
Cendol in Indonesia
In Indonesia, cendol is known as dawet . It is served as a drink instead of a bowl of crushed ice, and also contains green jellies. Dawet plays a huge part in the Javanese tradition, namely their weddings. A day before the wedding, parents of the bride can be seen selling the sweet dessert to their guests. In return, the guests will pay a few coins which is believed to bring in more guests if more dawet is sold.
In the central and eastern part of Java, the drink is also commonly known as Es Cendol .
Cendol in Vietnam
Cendol is known as Chè Ba Màu in Vietnam. When translated, it means ‘three-colour dessert’, which can be seen from the layers of the dessert. Similarly, Chè Ba Màu contains green jellies, mashed mung beans, and red azuki beans, on top of crushed ice. Coconut milk is drizzled on the dessert after all the toppings have been added.
Cendol in Cambodia
Bánh Lọt , the term for cendol in Cambodia, is made using a similar method as Chè Ba Màu . What is different in Bánh Lọt is that there are no toppings. The dessert is only made of green jellies, shaved ice, and coconut milk.
Cendol in Thailand
In Thailand, cendol is known as Lot Chong . It is served as a drink instead of a dessert, and it is usually served cold. At most places that serve Lot Chong , they tend to serve it plain – without any additional toppings. It is less colourful as it only contains green jellies that are doused in coconut milk.
Cendol in Myanmar
Mont Let Saung is served in a cup, and it is similar to that of the Thailand version. What makes it different is that it has an additional teaspoon of palm sugar syrup which gives it the ‘brown sugar’ look. It is commonly served during Burmese New Year and it is also very popular during the hot summers.
Cendol in Singapore
The cendol versions in Singapore and Malaysia are very much similar. In Singapore, the cendol will most likely come with red azuki beans, on top of the green jellies and palm sugar syrup. In some stalls, you can also request to add other toppings, such as attap seeds.
Cendol in Malaysia
If you are a beginner to the various desserts in Malaysia, you might confuse cendol with ice kacang. Unlike cendol, ice kacang has coloured syrup drizzled over the shaved ice. The latter also has more toppings to it – sweet corn, grass jelly, azuki red beans, peanuts, tapioca pearls, pink jellies, and more.
5 Key Ingredients for Delicious Cendol Durian
- Durian
There are two main types of durians in cendol durian – the mushy type, and the one that comes with its seed. The mushy type of durian in cendol is typically made with durian flesh, water, palm sugar, and sometimes pandan leaves. On the other hand, those that come with seeds are usually more common in Malaysia.
- Pandan
Pandan are added to the dessert to add flavour. When the leaves are cooked, boiled, or steamed together with the main ingredients, it will release a pandan aroma, which will be absorbed by the other items. As a result, the dessert will become very flavourful and tasty.
- Palm sugar
Not to be confused with brown sugar, palm sugar is less sticky and less shiny. The aftertaste of it is also less metallic compared to that of brown sugar. Additionally, palm sugar will give a taste that is similar to that of butterscotch and caramel.
- Coconut milk
In cendol, coconut milk is used to make the crushed ice. It can also be used as a topping for the dessert as well. For most people. They will add a moderate amount of coconut milk to the dessert as it contains a high level of calorie and fats.
- Corn flour & mung bean flour
Mung bean flour is known as hung kwe flour. If you cannot find mung bean flour around your area, corn flour can be used as a replacement. However, the texture of the green jellies will be different than the normal ones.
For those who do not want to go to the trouble of making the green jellies, it can be purchased from retail stores.
Best Place for Cendol Durian in Klang Valley
If you are in Klang Valley, you should definitely try out the cendol durian at Durian Bear. The dessert is served icy cold, and it is a popular desert among locals. Just like all other cendols, it is served with green jellies on top of crushed ice. The durians that come along with the cendol are of the best quality.
Not only does Durian Bear offer cendol durians, they also have fresh durians, frozen durians, musang king burnt cheesecake, durian crepe, durian paste, and coconut water. Some of their fresh durians include: musang king, tekka, durian, duri hitam, durian IOI, golden phoenix, durian kampung, d24 durian, black thorn, XO durian, and more.
Cendol Durian Recipe
If you are looking to make your own cendol durian, here’s the recipe for you! The amount of toppings that you want to add is up to your own preference. Additionally, you can also control the amount of sugar and coconut milk to suit your own taste.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Green Jelly
- 50 grams corn flour
- 50 grams mung bean flour (aka. hung kwe flour) *
- 600ml pandan juice
*Mungbean flour can be replaced with corn flour
Cendol
- 375ml coconut milk
- 375ml water
- 750 grams ice
Durian Paste **
- 300 grams water
- 200 grams palm sugar
- 200 grams durian flesh
- Pandan leaf (optional)
**If you are looking for an easier option, you can always purchase the durian paste from Durian Bear!
Palm Sugar Syrup (optional)
- 290 grams palm sugar (aka. gula melaka)
- 1 pandan leaf
- 120 grams water
Additional toppings (optional)
- Red azuki beans
- Sweet corns
- Coconut milk
Steps:
- Combine the ingredients for green jelly in a pot and put it over low heat. Stir the mixture gently, until it becomes thicker and glossier.
- Put the mixture into a plastic bag and snip a corner off. Prepare a bowl of iced water and squeeze the mixture into the bowl. The green jelly can be squeezed into any length that you desire. Put the bowl aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Blend the coconut milk, water, and ice in a blender until smooth. Put this mixture into a storage container and place it in the freezer.
- Prepare the durian paste by combining all the ingredients into a pot and bring it to a boil. Cook till the durian flesh is soft and slightly mushy. Water can be added if needed.
- To make the palm sugar syrup, dissolve the gula melaka with water and pandan leaf at low heat. Remove from heat when the sugar is dissolved completely.
- Lastly, prepare a bowl and pour in the mixture of coconut milk, water, and ice. Strain the green jelly from the ice water and add it on top of the coconut mixture. Durian paste, palm sugar syrup, red azuki beans, sweet corn, and coconut milk can be added afterwards. You may also add in any other toppings that you desire as well.
