When one dreams of food from South East Asia, one doesn't normally think of the vast array of sweet treats available.
Instead of Satay, Spicy BBQ Ribs, Coconut Cabbage, Laksa Noodle Soup, Egg Sambal and Nasi Goreng or Malaysian Beef Rendang, you might try out the sweetest parts of this area's cuisine: Bubor Cha Cha, Cashew Nut Cookies and Cassava Cake.
Before diving into these recipes for Sago Pudding, a word about gula melaka, or palm sugar.
The sugar is extracted from stalks of sugar palm, boiled and then dried (where it becomes solid, in the hollow of bamboo poles. It can be compared to the taste of muscavado sugar, but don't even think of replacing it in a recipe! Look for dark brown gula melaka, it has a deeper, richer taste than light brown versions.
SAGO PUDDING
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl sago
- 5 cups water
- 1 pandan leaf, tied into a knot or 1/2 to 1 tsp pandan essence
- 1 tbsp coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for syrup and sauce
- 125 grams palm sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pandan leaf tied into a knot or 1/2 to 1 tsp pandan essence
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
Method for pudding:
- Put the sago pearls in a sieve and toss about to shake off any dust. .
- In a saucepan, bring the water and pandan to a vigorous boil and stream the pearls slowly into the pot, while stirring with the other hand. Boil 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat, put lid on and let the pearls cook in the remaining heat for 10 min.
- The pearls should look engorged and translucent. Drain in a sieve (discard the leaf if you're using it), and bath in cold running water.
- Put the pearls into a bowl and stir in the coconut milk and salt.
- Divide into slightly-greased dessert molds (try muffin tins if you like). Pack it down and let it set in a refridgerator until you're ready to serve.
Method for syrup: Cut up the the palm sugar into small lumps. Heat in a pan with water and pandan until the sugar dissolves and simmer until a bit thickened. Strain the syrup and chill.
Method for milk sauce: Stir salt into coconut milk. If the milk is too thick, toss some water into it so it has pouring consistency. Chill until ready to serve.
When you're ready to serve, take out the sago from the molds onto individual plates and drizzle with both syrup and sauce.
YUM!
