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Pandan help needed

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Christina Georgina

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Pandan help needed

by Christina Georgina » Wed Jul 27, 2022 5:13 pm

I couldn't resist the package of frozen pandan leaves in my local Asian market. Not sure how or where to best use them and need a beginners guide. Any suggestions ?
Mamma Mia !
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Jenise

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Jenise » Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:00 pm

I have NO clue. I remember long ago being offered a tea that had some in it, and coincidentally the same week there was a reference to it in Saveur magazine calling it "the vanilla of Asia" or something like that. It left my consciousness on that day never to return.

Can't help!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Christina Georgina

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Christina Georgina » Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:28 pm

The purchase was not so impulse but definitely ignorant of how to use. My son has been working in Singapore and sending pictures of street food and raving about the flavor of pandan. I had never seen it before in my market so immediately bit. I think used primarily in sweet dishes but also used to wrap meats for grilling. Not sure that the frozen form is best for grilling but I can see infusing the leaves in coconut milk to extract the flavor. Like any other ingredient frequent use informs important tips and tricks and thus my quest to shortcut the learning curve from anyone experienced in its use.
Mamma Mia !
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Tom NJ

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Tom NJ » Thu Jul 28, 2022 8:56 am

Hi Christina. Several years ago a friend of mine traveled to Malaysia, and on her return asked me if I could make a coconut/pandan spread called "kaya" that she'd fallen in love with. I found a recipe on YouTube which turned out to be exactly what my friend was looking for. It involved blitzing the pandan leaves and pressing out the liquid for a flavor concentrate. The same method was used in other videos on the channel to make a number of other pandan flavored items, including a chiffon cake. I also watched videos where the leaves were simmered whole in coconut milk, and also where the leaves were used as wrappers around savory fillings and grilled.

Here is the original kaya recipe video I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JngXGXc8qe0

Unfortunately the Asian grocery where I used to get my authentic ingredients, including pandan, closed shop and so I haven't been able to source any fresh pandan since. I did try McCormack's pandan extract, but can't really recommend it. Very insipid compared to the real thing, in my opinion.
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Paul Winalski

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Paul Winalski » Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:36 pm

I have a package of frozen pandan leaves in my freezer that I bought semi-impulse after seeing them in an Asian grocery. I have a couple of Thai recipes that call for it but I've never made those dishes.

-Paul W.
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Jeff Grossman

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Jeff Grossman » Fri Jul 29, 2022 2:15 pm

Tse Wei Lim, a friend who is a professional chef and a Singaporean, and who may have posted here in the past(?), has memorably blogged about pandan here: https://letthemeatcake.substack.com/p/recipes


Jeff
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Christina Georgina

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Christina Georgina » Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:17 pm

Thank you Tom and Jeff. I feel good about proceeding with some of my frozen leaves for a pandan infused coconut panna cotta.
My son has fallen in love with kaya and refers to it as coconut jam. He will be thrilled with the recipe in the YouTube video.
Mamma Mia !
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Re: Pandan help needed

by Paul Winalski » Sun Jul 31, 2022 4:48 pm

Christina Georgina wrote:My son has fallen in love with kaya and refers to it as coconut jam. He will be thrilled with the recipe in the YouTube video.


Obviously not the kaya that Bob Marley sang about.

-Paul W.
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Rahsaan

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Re: Pandan help needed

by Rahsaan » Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:58 pm

Never cooked with it, but I hear it's becoming more and more of a popular ice cream flavor in Europe and the US. Although I think ube (often seen alongside it) is a more seductive ice cream flavor. And the color doesn't hurt either!

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