In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of the whole milk.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the milk and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to bloom while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a blender, combine the pandan leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup of whole milk.

Blend for about 2 minutes until most of the leaves are finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary.

Pour the milk-pandan mixture into a small saucepan, ensuring you get as much of the chopped pandan leaves as possible.

Stir in the heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean paste.

Bring the cream mixture to a bare simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar completely.

Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes to allow the pandan flavor to infuse.

After 5 minutes, return the mixture to a bare simmer over medium heat (do not let it boil vigorously).

Remove from heat, then add the bloomed gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing down on the solids (pandan pulp) to extract as much liquid as possible.

Discard the leftover pandan pulp.

Divide the panna cotta mixture evenly among four 4-6 ounce ramekins or glasses.

Refrigerate the panna cotta until fully set, about 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Once set, cover the ramekins with plastic wrap if you won't be serving the panna cotta right away.