Banh Lot Nuoc Cot Dua (Pandan Noodles in Coconut Milk), Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Put 100ml cold water, 2 pandan leaves, 180g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/5 teaspoon salt and 400ml coconut milk in a small pot over low heat. Once the mixture bubbles gently and everything has dissolved, turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk 80g rice flour, 40g kudzu root starch and 15g tapioca starch with 250ml cold water and 300ml pandan extract until fully dissolved into a smooth green batter.
3. Pour the batter into a pot over low heat and stir constantly so it cooks without catching on the bottom. Keep stirring until it comes together into a soft, elastic mass, then turn off the heat.
4. Set up a bowl of ice cold water. Load the dough into a banh lot press and press it through into the ice water. A colander with slightly large holes works in place of a press. Leave the noodles in the ice water for 5 minutes to firm up and gain their chew.
5. Lift out the noodles and stir them into the cooled coconut milk. Serve in bowls with ice.

Tips

• Good noodles stay separate, soft with a little chew, pale green, and fragrant with real pandan rather than sharp with flavoring.
• Constant stirring over low heat is essential, because a moment away leaves the batter scorched on the base of the pot.
• The water bath has to be truly ice cold for the noodles to firm up and turn chewy.
• Press the noodles out while the batter is hot, since a cooled one stiffens and will not go through.
• The cooked coconut milk has to be completely cool before it is poured over, because warm milk turns the noodles limp.