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Surinamese dawet
Coconut milk and lemongrass drink
Dawet: Javanese-Surinamese coconut milk and lemongrass drink
Javanese Surinamers brought dawet from Java, and today it is sold cold from big jars at warungs in Lelydorp and the Paramaribo district of Blauwgrond, especially on hot Sunday afternoons. In Suriname it has become its own drink, quite different from the Malaysian cendol with its green noodles: chilled coconut milk sweetened with a lemongrass and pandan syrup, often tinted pale pink and studded with soaked basil seeds or soft jelly strips. The common mistake is boiling the coconut milk, which makes it split and taste flat; it should only be warmed. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass hard with a rolling pin before simmering it, so the syrup tastes bright and lemony.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 3 lemongrass stalksbruised and cut into lengths
- 4 pandan leavesknotted (or 0.5 tsp pandan extract)
- 2 drops red food colouring (optional)
For the drink
- 3 ¼ cups coconut milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp basil seedssoaked in 200 ml water for 15 minutes
- 10 ½ oz ice cubes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¼ cups water, 5 ½ oz sugar, 3 lemongrass stalks and 4 pandan leaves in a pan. Simmer gently until fragrant and slightly syrupy, 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Strain, stir in 2 drops red food colouring if using, and cool completely.
10 minStep 3: Warm 3 ¼ cups coconut milk with 1 pinch salt over a low heat just until smooth, without letting it bubble, then cool.
Step 4: Stir the syrup into the coconut milk to taste, then add the swollen 2 tbsp basil seeds with their water.
Step 5: Chill well. Serve in tall glasses over 10 ½ oz ice cubes, stirring so every glass gets some seeds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does surinamese dawet take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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