Combine water, white sugar, and pandan leaves in a saucepan. Set it over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Watch for the first signs of a simmer (tiny bubbles breaking the surface) then pull the pan off the heat.
COCONUT MILK
Gently warm coconut milk in a saucepan over low heat and whisk in salt until fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
WATER CHESTNUT RUBIES
Pour water into three separate bowls, one for each color.
Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl.
Submerge the water chestnuts in the colored waters for 20 minutes to soak up the colors. After 20 min, use a colander to discard any extra liquid from the chestnuts.
Divide tapioca starch over the tree bowls and toss with the colored chestnuts until they’re well-coated.
Remove excess starch with a colander.
Boil a pot of water and cook each color batch of chestnuts until they float to the surface. Cook for another 2 minutes, then fish them out.
Submerge the glistening rubies in the sugar syrup.
TAPIOCA STARCHY NOODLES
Bring water to a boil. Combine with tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl and mix using a spoon. The mixture will become semi-translucent. Knead by hand once cool, adding your choice of food coloring.
Dust a baking tray with tapioca starch. Lay on the colored dough, sprinkle it with more tapioca starch. Roll the colored dough to your desired thickness.
Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into noodles. Keep them dusted with starch to avoid sticking.
Plunge the noodles into boiling water. They’ll need about 2–3 minutes, depending on their size. When they’re tender and see-through, they’re ready.
Transfer your noodles to the sugar syrup.
SERVE
Add a generous spoonful of the sugar syrup at the bottom of a serving bowl.
Add a colorful array of noodles and rubies.
Ladle in a generous amount of coconut milk.
Pile on a mound of crushed ice.
Top it off with jackfruit pieces and sweet corn kernels.
Notes
Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.