Yuzu Matcha Es Cendol

A cheeky collision of Japanese and Indonesian refreshment — chewy pandan-green cendol jelly pearls swimming in a frosty blend of ceremonial matcha, bright yuzu citrus, creamy coconut milk, and a drizzle of palm sugar syrup. It's the kind of drink that makes your taste buds do a little happy dance. Utterly cooling, subtly grassy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet.

Recipe details

Yield
2 people
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Total time
35 minutes total (plus 20 minutes chilling)

Ingredients

  • 3 leaves pandan leaves, tied in a knot (fresh preferred, frozen works great too)
  • 4 tbsp rice flour (the base of your cendol jelly)
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch (gives the cendol its signature chew)
  • 2 tsp matcha powder, sifted (ceremonial grade for drinking, culinary grade is fine too)
  • 200ml water (for the cendol dough)
  • 60g palm sugar, roughly chopped (also called gula melaka or gula jawa — deeply caramel, nutty flavour)
  • 60ml water (for the palm sugar syrup)
  • 200ml coconut milk (full-fat for maximum creaminess)
  • 1½ tsp matcha powder, sifted (for the matcha drink base)
  • 60ml hot water (around 80°C — not boiling, to preserve matcha's flavour)
  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (bottled yuzu juice works perfectly here)
  • 1 tbsp simple syrup or honey (optional, to sweeten the matcha base to taste)
  • 2 large handfuls crushed ice (the more the merrier — this drink is all about being COLD)
  • 2 slices or 1 tsp zest yuzu slice or yuzu zest (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Tie 3 pandan leaves into a knot. Place them in a small saucepan with 200ml water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes. This infuses the water with pandan's gorgeous grassy-vanilla fragrance. Remove the pan from heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the pandan leaves. Let the pandan water cool for 2 minutes — it should be warm but not scorching. While it cools, measure out 4 tbsp rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca starch and sift 2 tsp matcha powder into a medium bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
  3. Pour the warm pandan water gradually into the flour-matcha mixture, whisking constantly to form a smooth, lump-free batter. Pour this batter back into the saucepan.
  4. Cook the batter over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula, for about 4–5 minutes until it thickens into a sticky, glossy, bright green dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  5. Prepare a bowl of ice-cold water and set it next to the stove. While the dough is still hot, press it through a colander or cendol mould held over the ice water — the little worm-shaped strands will drop in and immediately firm up into bouncy, chewy pearls. If you don't have a colander with small holes, use a piping bag with a 3mm tip. Set aside the finished cendol in its cold water.
  6. Rinse the saucepan. Add 60g roughly chopped palm sugar and 60ml water. Bring to a medium heat and stir until the palm sugar is fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let it bubble gently for 1 minute until slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool.
  7. While the palm sugar syrup cools, whisk 1½ tsp sifted matcha powder with 60ml hot water (around 80°C) in a small bowl or jug. Whisk in a zigzag motion until fully dissolved and slightly frothy. Add 3 tbsp yuzu juice and stir to combine. Taste and add 1 tbsp simple syrup or honey if you'd like it sweeter. Let this cool to room temperature.
  8. Once the matcha-yuzu base is at room temperature, stir in 200ml full-fat coconut milk gently. Don't overmix — a light swirl looks absolutely gorgeous in the glass.
  9. To assemble: drain the cendol pearls and divide them between two tall glasses. Add a large handful of crushed ice to each glass.
  10. Spoon half the palm sugar syrup over the ice in each glass — it'll pool and swirl beautifully through the ice.
  11. Pour the matcha-yuzu-coconut mixture slowly over the back of a spoon into each glass so it cascades gently over the ice and creates lovely layers.
  12. Garnish each glass with a slice of yuzu or a pinch of yuzu zest. Serve immediately with a wide straw and a long spoon — you'll want to give it a little mix before sipping so every sip has cendol, palm sugar, and that dreamy matcha-yuzu coconut goodness.