pandan

When you pass Asian shops, see green cakes and desserts and wonder ‘what chemical made them green?’– think again. The colour is natural and comes from pandan leaves.

Pandan (screwpine pandanus) grows profusely in tropical areas of Asia. The leaves have a sweetish unique flavor integral to Malaysian cooking. The plant has long green leaves which release their aroma when broken or crushed.

You can buy the leaves in most large Asian supermarkets. Fresh is best but you can get frozen as well. It’s available in paste form (very intense and lasts ages so use sparingly) though it’s easy to make your own. Simply cut the leaves into about 1 inch lengths, pack into a saucepan, just cover with water (as little as possible) and simmer until the leaves have turned to pulp and the water evaporated. Then whizz in a processor. Keep in the fridge.

One very good and simple use of pandan is to take a couple of leaves, line them up then tie into a knot. Drop into a saucepan of rice which you are about to cook to add a beautiful delicate aromatic flavor to the rice.

Handy tip Not only edilble pandan has excellent de-odourising properties. Simply leave a few leaves in the fridge, or place under a foot carpet in the car or leave in the boot and you’ll always have a fresh smell. Replace every couple of weeks.