Lemongrass and Pandan Syrup

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Taking inspiration from Thai cuisine, the lemongrass and pandan syrup combines herbaceous notes with citrus and the unique vanilla-like flavour of pandan.

Lemongrass is an easy herb to grow in an edible garden and can even be rooted in water from store-bought stalks then planted in soil. It has a subtle lemon flavour due to the presence of citral which is also found in lemon rind.

Pandan leaves have an aroma and  flavour often described as the “vanilla of Southeast Asia”. They’re available from Asian grocery stores and other speciality retailers. The plant thrives in the tropics and favours heat and humidity which makes it a challenge to grow in a climate like Sydney.

The first step to making lemongrass and pandan syrup is to make a tea infusion by steeping pieces of lemongrass and strips of pandan leaf in hot water. Once the flavours has had time to infuse, the liquid is strained and sugar is added to create the syrup.

Lemongrass and pandan leaf are complementary flavours and the syrup adds a Southeast Asian note to cocktails, mixed drinks and non-alcoholic cocktails, such as The Costa Spritzer, as seen on Botanical Beverages, my segment on Gardening Australia.

Lemongrass and Pandan Syrup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large lemongrass stalk, bruised and cut into small pieces
• 1 pandan leaf, cut into fine strips
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of white granulated sugar (varies, see below)

Method

1. In a small saucepan, add the water, lemongrass pieces, strips of pandan leaves and bring to the boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
4. Fine strain and measure the volume of the liquid. (The solids can be composted or discarded)
5. Return the liquid to the saucepan and add an equal amount of white granulated sugar.
6. Bring to the boil for one minute then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
7. Pour into a flip top glass bottle and store in the fridge. It keeps at best for up to 2 weeks. Makes approximately 1.5 cups of syrup.

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