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Manisan kolang-kaling
Sugar palm fruit in pandan syrup
Sugar-palm fruit simmered in pandan syrup for iftar drinks
Kolang-kaling are the chewy, translucent seeds of the sugar palm, and in Indonesia they are a sure sign of Ramadan, piled in buckets at markets and simmered in syrup to go into iftar drinks, kolak and es buah. They have a soft, jelly-like bite and soak up whatever colour and flavour they are cooked in: green for pandan, red for rose syrup. Chef's tip: simmer them slowly and leave them in the syrup overnight; rushing gives pale fruit with a watery middle.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 1 ⅛ lb kolang-kaling (sugar palm fruit)from a jar or fresh
- 9 oz sugar
- 2 cups water
- 4 pandan leavesknotted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ⅛ lb kolang-kaling (sugar palm fruit) well, then boil in plain water for 5 minutes and drain to remove the sour smell.
10 minStep 2: Dissolve 9 oz sugar in 2 cups water with 4 pandan leaves and 1 pinch salt over a medium heat.
5 minStep 3: Add the fruit and simmer very gently for 40 minutes until the syrup is thicker and the fruit looks glassy and has turned faintly green. A common mistake is a hard boil, which toughens the fruit.
40 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice, cool and chill overnight in the syrup. Keep in the fridge for up to a week and spoon into iced drinks or kolak.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does manisan kolang-kaling take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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