Fresh Pandan Juice

Pandan or Screwpine is a type of plant that grows in tropical areas of Asia. This Pandan leaves have a sweet, unique flavor that is commonly used to enhance both desserts and savory dishes. The leaves are long and bright green, and when pounded or grind they will release a sweet taste and aroma that found in most desserts and drinks.

Below is a simple recipe on how to make your very own fresh Pandan Juice for making flavour dessert, rice and cake.

Ingredients: (makes 3 Tablespoons Juice)
10 - 12 Pandan Leaves
50ml Of Water

Method:-

1. Rinse and clean the pandan leaves, cut into 1cm size pieces and blend it together with 50ml of water.

2. Using the electric blender, pulse the pandan leave mixture for about 3 minutes till it form paste like shown in the photo above.

3. Strain the leaves mixture over a sieve to obtain the fresh Pandan Juice.

Alternatively:

*3. If you do not have a blender, use the stone pounder to pond the juice from the leaves without add the 50ml of water.

How To Shred And Grate Orange Rind

There mainly two major varieties of oranges such as Navels and Valencias. Navels are available from November through May, with peak supplies in January all the way to March. These oranges are big and easily spotted with the button formation opposite the stem end while compare to Valencia oranges that are small to medium sized.

If you like oranges I am sure you are aware of the Sunkist, Navels orange promotion that is available in most local supermarket where you can get big, juicy and sweet oranges at around S$3.25 for 5.

Sometime in certain recipes you might come across these words/phases appear beside the citrus fruits such as “rind of 1 lemon”, “grated rind”, “shred lemon/orange peel” or etc. And I have received a few comments asking on how to get grated rind and shreds peel so I think perhaps this little note might do some help. For those who is new in the kitchen, freshly grated zest is the coloured part of citrus fruit peel which adds extra fragrant and tangy taste to butter, cake, frosting, savory dishes or desserts. (Recipe of Orange Cinnamon Sorbet HERE)

The most common tool use for removing the zest from an orange or other citrus fruit is a Microplane grater(refer to the 2nd photo above on right) which comes in different sizes and design (click HERE for more samples) that is easy to use and produce fine result. But as for bigger shreds use as garnish, you can try a Vegetable Peeler/Shredder (refer to the 1st photo above on the left) to slice off thin strips. These tools come in handy and helps to take off the colored part of the peel easily without touching most of the white pith which is very bitter.

Lotus Seeds (莲子)

Lotus Seeds(莲子)are actually nuts from the lotus plant that are commonly found in Asia. The typical lotus seed is small, round and slightly white in appearance that is usually sold in dried and pre-packaged. The most common use of the seed is in the form of a paste for making moon cakes and bun or sometime they are found as one of the ingredients in Asian dessert or soup.

It is believed that when using lotus seeds to cook soups, congee or dessert, it actually act as a cooling tonic that "clears heat" according to the Chinese Physician. being sweet and neutral, they have been known to tonify the spleen, reinforce the kidneys and nourish the blood too. But within the seed lies a "green sprout" that is quite bitter and it is usually removed when lotus seeds are use in sweet dessert.

For more usage of these Lotus Seeds, you can refer to the followig link HERE for more recipe ideas.