← Nouns Cooking · Dessert Parlour

Ingredients

• 200 g small sago or tapioca pearls
• 2 l water, for boiling
• 180 g gula melaka (palm sugar), chopped
• 120 ml water, for the syrup
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• ¼ tsp Salt

Method

1. Bring the 2 litres of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Pour in the sago and stir well so it doesn't clump.
2. Boil for 10–12 min, stirring often, until the pearls are clear with just a tiny white dot in the middle. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for 10 min to finish turning clear.
3. Tip into a sieve and rinse under cold running water, stirring, until the pearls separate and the starchy water runs clear.
4. Press the sago into small cups or moulds and chill for 2 hours, until firm.
5. Meanwhile simmer the palm sugar, syrup water and one pandan leaf over medium heat for 5 min, until the sugar melts into a dark syrup. Strain and cool.
6. Warm the coconut milk, salt and the other pandan leaf over low heat just until steaming, without boiling. Cool.
7. Turn the sago out into bowls and pour over plenty of coconut milk and palm-sugar syrup.

Tips

• Real gula melaka is soft and fudgy and smells of caramel and smoke; dark muscovado is the nearest swap.
• A big pot of water is key; too little and the sago turns into a sticky, gluey mass.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Jackie M (Malaysia Kitchen) The Singapore Women's Weekly