Bandrek (Sundanese herbal spiced tea)
Bandrek is a traditional Sundanese herbal spiced tea. Your new favey bedtime reading drink brings together palm sugar’s tender sweetness, the aromatic embrace of lemongrass, and the comforting notes of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
Servings: 4
Calories: 41kcal
Cost: $2.50
Equipment
- Sturdy knife or cleaver
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup palm sugar or coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 5 thin slices ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 1 cardamom pod
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 2 pandan leaves knotted
- Optional:
- Condensed coconut milk to taste
Instructions
- In a pot, combine four cups of water with palm sugar (or coconut sugar, or brown sugar), along with the slices of ginger, cinnamon stick (or half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon), whole cloves, and a cardamom pod.
- Give the lemongrass stalks a good bash with the back of a thick knife or cleaver to release their flavor, then add them to the pot along with two knotted pandan leaves.
- Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over low heat. Allow it to gently bubble away for about 25 minutes, infusing your kitchen with delightful scents.
- Remove the whole spices, lemongrass, and pandan leaves before portioning into cups. Optionally, drizzle in condensed coconut milk to taste for that extra creaminess.
Notes
Gentle Simmering: Ensure that your Bandrek simmers at a low, steady pace rather than boiling vigorously. Maintaining this slow, gentle simmer for approximately 25 minutes allows the flavors to blend harmoniously.
Customize the sweetness level to your liking. Begin with the recommended quantity of palm, coconut, or brown sugar, and increase as desired. Achieving the ideal balance is crucial for a flawless cup of Bandrek.
To make Bandrek in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker: follow the same steps, but set your appliance to the “soup” or “manual” mode for 20 minutes on low pressure. Release the pressure for the best results.
Nutrition
Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.5mg