I guess I need to say this … It has been a long time since I did my last post. Well I could list several reasons for it. But I won’t. Heh heh … I goofed off. Doing this and that. And along the way the blog got little bit sidelined. But I am back on the site again.
I think for this re-entry, I will do a post on the cendol. Why the cendol? Because I have just had a bowl of this delightful dessert – to revive a languid afternoon. So what is the cendol? For some who know it, the mere mention of its name is enough to make you drool. But for others who don’t, a brief description is required, I guess.
The cendol is a dessert. Almost like a pengat or kolak – made up of rice and tapioca flour – main ingredients for the green strips that are called cendol, red beans, brown sugar and coconut milk.
Could the Asian dessert be ever separated from the coconut milk or santan? Of course, if you want to. But seriously in a cendol, you don’t want to. The more santan, the better. Did I mention the word fresh? Without any doubt, fresh should be the prime attribute of the santan here!
I live quite a distant away from food centres. So when I do get the stirrings to eat the cendol, I would just make it. Ideally two pair of hands would help.
When the cendol is done and the red beans are boiled – put 2 tablespoons of each into a bowl. Put them into the prettiest bowl that you can lay your hands on. Remember attractive visuals enhance the taste! Did our grandparents bother about this? Obviously they did. The cendol that they made came in the most delectable green hue that you have ever seen! Green – pandan green! Then add enough brown sugar and coconut milk.
Do not forget the shaved ice if you have the appliance to do it. Otherwise the ordinary or very ordinary ice cubes would do. We can’t be too petty in life – all the time I mean.
Viola … your very cool and cold cendol is ready. Take your time. Savour it.
Really, the cendol is quite a simple dessert to make – of course if you have all the ingredients with you. Other wise just make your way to the food centres – any food centre in Singapore, I mean. That delicious bowl of delightful dessert with the red beans snugly resting on the bed of green cendol would have definitely justified the trip. Anytime. Everytime.