Sago pearls are little balls made of starch extracted from tropical palm stems. Malaysia and Indonesia have the largest supply in the world so it’s no surprise that it’s popular in the region. Fifi made this wonderful Malaysian sago pudding served with salted coconut sauce and caramelised palm sugar syrup. Yum.
In a large pot bring approximately 2 litres of water to boil and then pour in 400g (14 oz) of sago pearls. Stir constantly while cooking to prevent the pearls from sticking together or to the bottom of the pot. As they cook the water will become thick and starchy and the sago will disappear as it becomes totally translucent. When you can’t see any more white centres the sago is ready. Drain the sago into a large sieve and place it in an even larger bowl. Carefully pour in cold water and stir to remove the excess starch. Pour out the water and repeat – you will have to do this a number of times until the pearls are separate and not surrounded by starchy water. Finally, drain the sago and divide it into small bowls, glasses or cups. Chill for at least 2 hours. Now take a small saucepan and add 500ml (17 fl oz) of thick coconut milk, 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of salt and 6 pandan leaves tied together in a knot. Pandan leaves are usually available fresh or frozen from Asian food stores. Stir and cook over low heat to prevent the coconut fat from separating. When you achieve a simmer it’s ready to take off the heat and set aside. To another saucepan add 300g (10½ oz) of roughly chopped palm sugar (gula melaka) and 1 cup of water. Stir and cook until the mixture becomes a slightly thickened syrup. Set aside to cool. The puddings can be served in the bowls you chilled them in or turned out into larger bowls. To serve, pour the coconut over the pudding and top with some of the syrup.
michelle picker cooks 