Buco Pandan Salad (Coconut – Screwpine Leaves Salad)

Pandan (Screwpine) is a type of plant that has long leaves and which commonly grows in  the tropical areas of South- East Asia. It is known for it’s sweet and somewhat nutty flavor,making it popular not only in enhancing  dessert but savory food as well.

We used to have a lot of pandan in pots outside the house but I don’t know what happened to them. I guess I’ll need to grow one myself if I’m going to start cooking dishes which requires pandan leaves.

I’ve tasted a lot of  Buco-Pandan Salads but  they all seem to disappoint me. I’ve had problems with either the gelatin being too soft or the salad missing the pandan flavor. Or it may be that the Buco-Pandan Salad just doesn’t quite make it to my tastebuds. So I thought, why not try making one myself? So I did and it was perfect…err—-or at least the best one you’ll ever taste.

This recipe has been in and out to most of our family parties so it’s certified delish. The coconut flavor is enhanced not only by the coconut strips but by the addition of Nata de Coco.

Nata de Coco is chewy, translucent, jelly-like food product produced by the bacterial fermentation of coconut water and carrageenan. This product originated here in the Philippines.(Source: Wikipedia)

I was eating this at 11pm last night while tending the computer shop..♥♥♥ I was in heaven.

Buco Pandan Salad (Coconut – Screwpine Leaves Salad)

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• Author: Peachy Adarne

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 pandan leaves, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large bottle of Sweetened Nata de Coco
• * You can also make your own sweetened Nata de Coco by cooking it in sugar and water.
• meat of 2 large Coconuts, grated to strips
• 3 cups tapioca pearls
• 2 cans of condensed milk
• ¾ c water
• 1 packet of green gelatin
• * I prefer Alsa because it produces firmer gelatin.You can use any brand you want,though.

Instructions

1. Boil the cut-up pandan leaves in water until the water is infused with pandan flavor.Separate leaves with the water and set aside.
2. Cook the gelatin according to packet directions but use two-thirds of the pandan infused water. Reduce the amount of water needed so you’ll get firmer gelatin.
3. Cut gelatin into cubes when it solidifies.
4. Strain Nata de Coco to remove the sugar syrup.
5. Combine coconut strips, tapioca pearls, nata de coco, condensed milk, cubed gelatin and what’s left of the pandan-infused water.
6. Add the pandan leaves you have set aside as a garnish.
7. Mix well. Put in a container and chill for 4 hours.
8. Serve chilled.
9. You can also add green food color to add to presentation.