You could have a khanom chan with as many layers as you want but, traditionally there is a significance in making the Thai layered sweet with 9 layers. The number 9 in Thai and even in Indian customs is a lucky number that, symbolizes progress and success. Professional cooks still make their khanom chan with 9 layers. Since it is the pandan leaf extract that imparts the green color to the layered sweet dish, the easiest way to get the layered look is to alternate layers of the batter with portions that have been infused with pandan juice and those which have not. Though not very common, you might come across khanom chan with many colored layers - in the old days, natural color extract was used for all these colors - today they are more likely to be commercially manufactured food coloring agents. Children in Thailand have an interesting way to relish their layered sweet, they eat the sweet layer by layer.
The ingredients for the recipe for Khanom Chan shown below are calculated to make a small amount of the Thai sweet dish - presuming that this is your first try at making khanom chan. You could increase the proportions of the ingredients to get a bigger volume of the layered sweet dish.
We would suggest that, you spend a few moments and quickly read through the making instructions below. This will give you a general idea of how to go about making khanom chan, you can then go through each step as you move ahead with the process.