When There is Pandan, The Cooking's Done.

1. Fragrant Pandan

We have a common garden plant here that many asian mothers who loves to cook also loves to have in their homes. The common name of this plant is screwpine pandanus and its botanical name is Pandanus Amaryllifolius. Locally, we call it the pandan wangi, meaning fragrant pandan. Yes, I have one in my kitchen garden too. It is a cook's faithful servant and companion. Here, in South East Asia, the pandan is cultivated .

Scientific name: Pandanus amaryllifolius
Common name: Fragrant Pandan, Screwpine
Chinese name:七葉蘭 (qi ye lan  - seven leafed orchid)
Malay name: Pandan Wangi
Synonym: Pandanus odorus, Pandanus latifolius
Family: Pandanaceae
Origin: Moluccas, Indonesia

2. A bundle of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves

Well, if you don't grow it, you can also buy it from any wet markets or hypermarkets here. They sell in bundles like this. This one is sold by a farmer who grows her own organic vegetables. It costs only RM 50 cents. Also, if you do not grow this plant inside your house compound but plant it somewhere outside your home, it is a free for all thing. Other people may be tempted to cut off a portion of the leaves. Maybe they won't ask if you are not looking. Afterall, it is an emergency! They need it to cook a great main dish and desserts to satisfy loved ones.

3. My pandan plant

How to grow the pandan plant?

If I want to grow this plant, I don't go to the nursery. I will go to the market and tell the seller that I wish to grow it. The kind seller will select a stalk that has tiny roots at the base. Then I can go back home to root it by putting it in a container of water and let it stand for a few days until roots appear. Thereafter I will plant it in the well-drained soil.

The pandan is an ideal plant to have in our backyard. The leaves are shiny, look like long blades and they are green the whole year through. I have never seen any flowers or fruits from this plant though. The plant doesn't need much care and it is seldom attacked by insects or diseases. Once established, I do not need to fertilize it anymore. Watering is only needed during dry season. After we cut off some portions of the leaves for cooking, it will grow back very soon. When left to grow wild, it can develop many branches which make it look quite bushy. It actually blends in to add to the beauty of our tropical landscape and home gardens.

Special note for those growing pandan in cooler climates
Pandanus amaryllifolius, being a tropical plant loves the warm and humid conditions. It is advisable to plant pandan in a container because it can't survive the cold and frost. You have to bring it indoors or place it in a greenhouse during the winter months and reduce the watering. Do not wet the leaves as the water droplets may freeze and damage the plant or the dampness may lead to rotting.

4. Pandan plants in a community garden

We use the leaves mainly for cooking. Just like you have the essence/extract of vanilla beans for western cooking, we have the pandan leaves. For example, we can tie a few leaves together into a knot and cook it together with our pot of rice. It gives the rice a sweet, tasty aroma. It also adds a distinctly good flavour to the rice. It is a must have for cooking 'nasi lemak' or coconut flavoured rice. The leaves are not eaten but discarded after the cooking process.

Other uses:

5. Pandan flavoured bun

1. In the picture above, our local baker has used pandan leaves to line this curry chicken bun.

2. Pandan cakes and even pandan moon cakes - the juice extracted from the pandan leaves are added as an ingredient to give it a pandan flavour and the green colour.

3. Thai sytled cooking - the leaves are used to wrap the meat before it is deep fried, e.g. Thai styled pandan chicken

4. Desserts - Here, we have what we call the 'kuih' and dessert drinks. Kuih is a dessert made from a few types of flour. Here, pandan leaves are pounded or blended to extract its juice to give the kuih the green colour. It also adds flavour to the kuih and makes it more tasty. The leaves can also be shapped into a box. Here, cooking ingredients are poured into it. It acts as a 3-in-one, i.e. mould cum storage container cum packaging. For dessert soup/drinks, we boil the leaf to get its flavour and aroma, thereafter the leaves are discarded. We can also use it to cook Chinese dessert soups or 'tong-shui' like bobo-caca, sweet potato, peanuts, sesame, black bean, red bean, mung bean, wheat, sago, or other grain soups.

5. We also have pandan essence. Like vanilla essence, it is used to add flavour to cakes and other confectionery items, examples are pandan flavoured ice-cream, breads and buns.

6. Some people use dried pandan leaves as a natural insect (e.g. cockroach) repellant.

7. Others use the leaves to make potpourri, e.g. in malay weddings.

8. In aromatherapy, its fragrance is used in traditional cosmetics, hair care and body scrubs.

9. Some people use the leaves to refresh rooms.

If you wish to try out some recipes of these delightful dishes, do visit Kuali. Just type in the word 'pandan' under the search option and you will be rewarded with quite a number of illustrated dishes and how to cook them.

Have you see the pandan plant before?
Can you grow it in your area?

Do you have any other suggestions related to it's uses?