Authentic Coconut Pandan Jelly (Thạch Rau Câu Lá Dứa)

Coconut pandan jelly or Thạch Rau Câu Lá Dứa is a classic Vietnamese dessert that is so unbelievably easy to make. My version is filled with fresh pandan leaves and creamy coconut milk, and is most importantly, not too sweet. In this blog post, learn all the cool tricks on how to create those green and white layers.

One of my favorite things to do in LA is go to Hien Khanh for Che Ba Mau and other Vietnamese desserts. It’s basically an Orange County institution and lines are always out the door. Unfortunately, I don’t get to go that often anymore. It’s far from where I live and life has gotten busier. That’s why I made it my mission to make all their desserts at home, and this Coconut Pandan Jelly or Thạch Rau Câu Lá Dứa is one of them.

How I developed this coconut pandan jelly recipe

Developing this recipe was hard in a different way compared to my other recipes. The ingredients themselves were pretty easy to figure it out because I had created a version of them for a variety of Vietnamese dessert recipes. What was really challenging was trying to come out with even, straight layers.

In testing, the coconut and pandan layers kept running into each other. The coconut and pandan layers are different densities with the coconut being denser, so it was easy for the coconut layer to break the pandan layer. It was beyond frustrating at times. Eventually, I found the perfect balance. For each layer, it’s important that the layer is warm and solid before pouring on the second layer. It needs to be solid so the second layer doesn’t run into it, but it also needs to be warm so the second layer sticks to the first. I go into more detail below. Read through the tips carefully!

Using pandan leaves vs pandan extract

In this recipe, I chose to use both leaves and extract to achieve the color and flavor. I love to use both because I found in the past when I used only pandan leaves, the pandan flavor would be too light. And I like a lot of pandan flavor. Additionally, the color is a lot more vibrant if you add the extract. That’s why for most of my pandan dessert recipes I use both. See my Banh Bo Nuong and pandan cake as examples.

Step-by-step making this coconut pandan jelly (with tips!)

1. Combine 6 pandan leaves and 3/4 cups of water in a blender. Blend until smooth and strain the pandan juice through a fine mesh sieve. Press the pandan leaves into the sieve to wring out as much juice as possible. Set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, combine 1 tbsp of agar agar powder with 2 cups of water (for the pandan layer). In a separate sauce pan, combine 1 tbsp of agar agar powder and 1/3 cup of water (for the coconut layer). Mix both and set aside for the agar agar powder to bloom (~15 minutes).
   • Tip #1: If you don’t bloom the agar agar, the resulting jelly will taste grainy. Blooming the agar agar helps it fully dissolve into the liquid.
3. Once done, add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp of pandan paste (optional), and 1 pinch of salt to the first sauce pan for the pandan layer. To the second sauce pan for the coconut layer, add 1 can of coconut milk, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp of salt, and 2 pandan leaves.
4. Place both pans on the stove and turn on the heat to high. Whisk both at the same time until both liquids come to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer for 1 minute before removing both from the heat. Make sure both layers are boiling before removing them from the heat as that will ensure the agar agar has fully dissolved.
   • Tip #2: Make sure to continually mix until both are boiling as tiring as that is. The agar agar tends to congregate at the bottom of the pan if you don’t mix which affects how the jelly forms.
5. Into a 8.5×6.5 inch baking dish, pour 3/4 cup of the pandan mixture for the first layer. Place the dish into the fridge for 6 minutes.
6. Take out the first layer and slowly pour 3/4 cup of the coconut mixture for the second layer. I like to do this over the back of a spoon so the mixture slowly pours into the dish without breaking the first layer. Let the coconut layer sit until it has hardened. You can test out this layer by lightly tapping the edges of the layer. If it feels solid, it should be set.
   • Tip #3: In testing, I found the first layer most prone to breaking since it is so hot. Make sure it is fully solidified before pouring the second layer. Also, keep in mind the outer edges will solidify before the center.
7. Repeat this process until you run out of both mixtures and there are 3 layers each of pandan and coconut. Put the dish in the fridge to set for 15 minutes before serving.
   • Tip #4: Make sure to work quickly. As you work through the layers, the layers will cool faster as it sits and the liquid will start to solidify near the end. I actually forgot to take a picture of the jelly in the dish because I was trying to focus on making sure the layers are just right.
8. Once set, release the jelly from the dish. Invert the dish over a cutting board. Trim off the edges and cut it into 9 equal pieces.

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