Thai Pandan Coconut Jelly Dessert

Hydrate the agar-agar. In a small bowl, mix the agar-agar powder with the water and let it sit to hydrate.

Prepare the pandan leaves. Cut the pandan leaves into short pieces.

Blend the pandan. Blend the pandan leaves with the water until broken down and fragrant.

Strain the juice. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or cheesecloth, pressing well to extract smooth pandan juice.

Heat the pandan juice. Pour the pandan juice into a pot over low-medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir the soaked agar-agar once more to loosen it, then add it to the pot while stirring.

Dissolve the agar-agar. Stir continuously until the agar-agar is fully dissolved and the liquid looks clear. Run a spoon through the mixture, if you see any graininess, keep stirring until smooth.

Sweeten the mixture. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Pour and set the pandan layer. Pour the pandan layer into your mold or cups. Let it set at room temperature until just firm (about 30 minutes) before adding the coconut layer on top. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut layer.

Hydrate the agar-agar. In a bowl, mix the agar-agar with the water (the same way as before) and let it sit.

Heat the coconut milk. Heat the coconut milk in a pot over low heat. When it gently bubbles around the edges, add the agar-agar mixture and stir until fully dissolved and smooth.

Season the coconut layer. Add the sugar and salt and stir until completely dissolved, then remove from the heat.

Layer the coconut mixture. Once the pandan layer is just set, gently spoon the coconut layer over the top. Keep the spoon close to the surface so the layers stay clean.

Let the jelly set. Let the jelly rest at room temperature until fully set. Slice into pieces or chill before serving.