Never heard of pandan before? I hadnβt either until a few months ago and now I am hooked. I tried it first as an ice cream flavor and it was love at first bite.
Ever since I have been on a mission to find, grow and use this wonderful plant. Though my plants still need to do a bit of growing, my friend gave me some leaves from her plants to start experimenting with this wonderful aromatic flavor.
What is Pandan?
Pandan is a herbaceous, palm-like tropical plant with long, slender, and spiky leaves. The plants grow abundantly in Southeast Asia. Pandan leaf is also known as screwpine leaf.
In Asian cuisine, Pandan leaves lend their unique taste and aroma to flavor desserts and drinks as well as savory dishes.
Though the taste is quite different from vanilla, pandan is often referred to as the Asian vanilla. To be honest, I think it is even better than vanilla but hey flavors are personal so you will have to taste this green treat yourself to form your own opinion.
And whatβs more, Pandan is packed with many good-for-you plant nutrients that are believed to relieve headaches, cramps, and chest pains, and may even lower blood pressure.
DIY PANDAN JUICE AND EXTRACT FROM FRESH LEAVES
PANDAN JUICE vs PANDAN EXTRACT
Pandan juice the easiest to make. Not that the extract is more difficult or that much more work to make lol.
Pandan juice is what you get when you blend the leaves with water.
Pandan extract, on the other hand, is the sediment that accumulates at the bottom of the jar of pandan juice after you leave it for 24 to 48 hours. The sediment is the pigment, chlorophyll, which gives pandan its green color.
Both will give your dishes the typical, sweet, yummy, aromatic flavor. Pandan juice is a watery, less concentrated version of pandan extract. Use this in recipes that allow you to use more liquid (to flavor rice, make steamed buns or cakes, etc).
Pandan extract will taste more bitter on its own as it is very concentrated. Use the extract in recipes that don't require much liquid. Make sure to get the balance right to avoid bitter-tasting dishes.
Now let us get to itβ¦β¦.
INGREDIENTS
- Fresh pandan leaves
- Water
Ratio: 30 gram fresh mature pandan leaves : 1 cup water
I had about 100 grams of leaves so I used just over 3 cups of water.
EQUIPMENT
- Powerful blender
- Cheesecloth or nut milk bag
- Jar
INSTRUCTIONS
Choose mature pandan leaves. They are darker green compared to younger leaves on the top.
Thoroughly wash the leaves to remove dirt.
Using a scissor, cut the leaves into 1-inch pieces. Pandan leaves are very fibrous so the need to be cut in smaller pieces to ease the blending process.
Put the leaves in a blender with water (ratio 30 gram leaves for 1 cup water). Blend until all leaves are broken down and you are left with a smoothie-like juice.
Strain using a cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Fine sieve works too.
Transfer the liquid to a jar. This is your pandan juice.
If you want to make a more concentrated extract, leave the pandan juice in the refrigerator for about 24-48 hours. The green sediment will sink to the bottom of the jar. Discard the water (it will still have a slight pandan flavor so I made ice cubes from it). And then you are left with your pandan extract.
Curious what I made with the extract? I will share some recipes with it as soon as I find some time. I made a raw vegan cheesecake with it and the ice cubes I am using to make a special cocktail for new years eve.
Stay tuned and happy holidays.
Oh I almost forgot..... happy #fruitsandveggiesmonday everyone! Let's not forget to send some extra love to @lenasveganliving and @plantstoplanks.
WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL DAY α¦ α¦ α¦
FYI: For green smoothie tips, tricks, and recipes, download my FREE GREEN SMOOTHIE EBOOK HERE!
ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH NIKON D5600
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