Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar (Sago Gula Melaka)

23/05/2010  |  44 Comments »

It’s back to recipes posting! Well, I hope that you guys have enjoyed my few series of posts about Japan overall — food, people, sights…. Today, I feel like it’s very suitable (because of the ‘scorching’ weather) for me to share something really special, that I like a lot since I was a kid.

Sagu or Sago comes from the starchy inner trunk of the sago palm. The trees are cut down just before flowing when the starch reserves have built up in the trunk. Sago palm is commonly seen and grows in the watery swamps in South East Asia. Some people may get confused when talk about sago pearls and tapioca pearls, as they both look almost the same. Tapioca is a starch extracted from the root of cassava. The usage of both tapioca and sago pearls are usually interchangeable.

There’s a special relationship between me and sago pearls. I remember being really fussy when I was a kid (like all kids!). My mom made a dessert that it was optional to add sago pearls. When she made it without, I would not even eat it let alone tasting it. But, when it was made with sago pearls added, I would always be the first one to happily serve and eat it, and made sure I had lots of sago pearls in it. :)

Sago is commonly used in making dessert. One of the most popular Malaysian desserts that uses sago is sago pudding with palm sugar (Malay: sago gula melaka). Gula melaka or palm sugar is another common ingredient used in making Malaysian dessert. It has richer flavour and the colour is darker than both Thai palm sugar and most Indian palm jaggery. Sago itself is tasteless, but accompanied with the rich sweet flavour of palm sugar syrup, and drizzled with lots of coconut milk, is probably the best Malaysian dessert on earth!

As summer is approaching, the weather is getting warmer each day. In London, we have been very lucky to enjoy the warm sunshine and blue sky (not sure how long this is going to last though). But, it’s definitely a good sign of summer. During time like this, when it’s ‘boiling’ hot, I like to cool down myself with a sweet and chilled dessert like sago gula melaka. I prepared them in individual glasses so that when I crave for one, I already got a few handy in the fridge waiting for me. ;)  Note: You can also use pandan flavoured sago pearls which can easily be purchased at Asian supermarket nowadays.

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Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar (Sago Gula Melaka)

Ingredients:

200g sago
200g palm sugar, roughly chopped
250ml coconut milk
1 pandan leaf
700ml + 2tbsp water
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Boil water in a saucepan, add in sago. Keep stirring to make sure that the pearls do not clump together. Cook until sago pearls become translucent.

2. Strain and wash away excess starch in running cold water.

3. In individual small glasses or cups, scoop enough individual portion of sago pearls. Put in the fridge to set and chill.

4. In a saucepan, pour in coconut milk with the screwpine/pandan leaf tight into a knot. Put in a pinch of salt. Boil at low heat and stir constantly. When it starts to bubble, remove from heat and strain into a bowl then set aside to cool.

5. In another saucepan, melt the palm sugar with 2 tablespoons of water on a low heat. Once become syrupy, set aside to chill.

6. Once sago is set and chilled, serve each individual portion with palm sugar syrup and coconut milk.


boiling, malaysian, sweet tooth
44 Comments »
 

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44 Responses to “Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar (Sago Gula Melaka)”

  1. 1
    MaryMoh — 23/05/2010 @ 20:41

    Oooooh….I just love this. I have not eaten for a long time. I think I can eat all the 3 bowls there! I hope they are not tiny bowls :P I must make this soon. Hope to find the palm sugar and also the pandan leaves here. They are often out of stock :( Thanks for sharing.

  2. 2
    gertrude — 23/05/2010 @ 22:02

    Leemei, I made this last week too as we were having some very hot weather. I didn't use coconut milk but evaporate milk. It tasted just as good a bit healthier :) By the way beautiful pictures. I can't seems to get mine right at all. I don't know why but it is always that way when I tried taking sago gula melaka :(

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 19:42

      Oh really? Yeah, I guess, with evaporate milk, it’s just as good and I do agree on the healthy bit.. :) Which part did it go wrong?

  3. 3
    peachkins — 24/05/2010 @ 00:31

    I love Sago so much!!

    blowing peachkisses
    The Peach Kitchen
    peach and things

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:43

      Me too.. do you have any desserts from the Philippines that use sago?

  4. 4
    thelittleteochew — 24/05/2010 @ 01:27

    I love this dessert too! You made it look so festive. :)

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:43

      Thanks, Ju!

  5. 5
    3hungrytummies — 24/05/2010 @ 04:29

    The Travel posts have been very entertaining… a little jealous though lol

    I have not seen the pandan flavoured sago around. I am going to search for that when I am in a Asian grocer next!

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:44

      I really hope the travel posts were not boring.. hehehe.. Pandan flavoured sago are usually made in Thailand.. check it out next time when you go to Asian grocer.

  6. 6
    Ho Ho Ho — 24/05/2010 @ 07:38

    ooops I am drooling over the keyboards…. have to make a note to make this soon.. :) …

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:44

      heheheh.. luckily I saw you have a tissue in your hand to wipe.. hehehe.

  7. 7
    Piggy — 24/05/2010 @ 07:56

    Yum, this is my favourite dessert! It is also getting very hot in Taipei and how I wish I could have a bowl of this to cool me down! But I don't think I can get the ingredients here, how sad!

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:45

      You don't think you can get sago in Taipei? Should be easy to get, no?

  8. 8
    pigpigscorner — 24/05/2010 @ 10:57

    ooo this is so good! I like hot version during winter, looks like it's time for some cold ones!

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 24th, 2010 @ 18:46

      Hot version is yum too!! And cold one is great for the boiling weather now.. hehe

  9. 9
    Su-yin — 24/05/2010 @ 23:37

    I love love love sago, but yet have never had this dessert! I will be making this very soon :D

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 25th, 2010 @ 17:39

      Give it a try.. it's a lovely dessert..

  10. 10
    Tuty @Scentofspice — 25/05/2010 @ 03:43

    LeeMei,
    I love these sago pearls too! One of the Indonesian versions uses plain sugar and some melon balls to quench our thirst. Your version looks fantastic and your photographs are tantalizing me to make some. Definitely easier than making cendol :-)

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 25th, 2010 @ 17:41

      Tuty,
      Cool. I love the sound of melon with sago. Totally agree that it's easier than making cendol. I haven't made cendol before, perhaps, I will do that one day. :)
      Thanks for your compliment ;)

  11. 11
    tigerfish — 25/05/2010 @ 08:43

    Tadpoles eggs! I have not had Sago Gula Melaka for so long!
    This is my first time seeing the pandan-flavored pearls….

    • mycookinghut replied: — May 25th, 2010 @ 17:41

      heehhe… tadpoles eggs.. pretty similar.. :)

  12. 12
    TasteHongKong — 26/05/2010 @ 06:26

    I love the unique flavor from palm sugar, and your adding of pandan leave make this dessert sounds more irresistible.

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 1st, 2010 @ 20:33

      Me too, love the flavour of palm sugar a lot. ;)

  13. 13
    food-4tots — 28/05/2010 @ 19:13

    Both my hubby and I love this dessert very much. But I have one little opposition leader here. Hmmmm…maybe it is time to try my luck. Love the pandan-flavoured pearls! Look so outstanding and irresistable! ;)

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 1st, 2010 @ 20:34

      Ahh, the little opposition leader huh… well, try again, you never know.

  14. 14
    jo — 29/05/2010 @ 12:29

    You’ve definitely turn this local dessert into a fancy dish. It looks gorgeous and my hubby would love you for this … he loves this dessert.

  15. 15
    veron — 30/05/2010 @ 04:56

    Okay this, sago, coconut and screwpine = comfort food for me!

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 1st, 2010 @ 20:34

      Same for me ;)

  16. 16
    noobcook — 31/05/2010 @ 04:58

    so so so beautiful. Love the tri coloured sago and pretty coloured spoons. Always admire your food styling and photography :)

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 1st, 2010 @ 20:35

      Thanks wiffy..

  17. 17
    Syrie — 31/05/2010 @ 06:19

    Such a beautiful photo. I love desserts like this. Anything with sago, sticky rice and palm sugar. Delicious! you’ve inspired me to make my own.

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 1st, 2010 @ 20:35

      Sticky rice.. yum, that reminds of of sticky rice, mango with coconut milk!

  18. 18
    gastroanthropologist — 02/06/2010 @ 19:11

    Love the different colors. My father loves tapioca pudding and I'm going home in a few weeks so I will try and make some Sago pudding for him. Pandan flavored sago – yum!

    BTW, are you going to the food blogger connect this weekend in London?

    • mycookinghut replied: — June 3rd, 2010 @ 17:56

      Thanks!
      Well, no, wasn't aware of food blogger connect. Are you going?

  19. 19
    My Simple Food — 02/07/2010 @ 19:34

    Hi! This look deliciously yummy. Wanna try to make it now but I don’t know if I can get gula melaka in Dallas. Must search for it at the Asian supermarket. Thanks for recipe.

    • mycookinghut replied: — July 5th, 2010 @ 14:30

      If you can't get gula melaka/palm sugar usually can be found at Asian supermarket. You may want to shop online if you can't find from the supermarket.

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  21. 20
    Sandy — 13/09/2010 @ 07:25

    I had a warm version of this dessert and it was just as tasty, just a bit runnier, but no less enjoyable.

    • mycookinghut replied: — September 15th, 2010 @ 21:01

      That is great! I am glad you like it!

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  23. 21
    almostveg — 23/09/2011 @ 16:17

    Wow – the first time I had this was in Pandanusa and it was super. I fell in love with the texture. Since then I had it on every trip to Malaysia – and it is a wonderful memory. Now I can re-create it for my nine year old.
    Thanks

  24. 22
    Vidhya — 09/12/2011 @ 12:23

    Hi lee mei, am from singapore and thanks for the great recipe! U ve gotta a great web blog going! I tried out this recipe on gula melaka I just bought from malacca ! n it came out really well :) … Yumm! Everyone loved it at home. I used pandan sago as well. Only question, the sago I used seems ‘ much smaller ‘ in size than the ones in your photo and also they sort of clumped together esp after they were left in the fridge for a while…this is despite me taking every effort not to overcook them and wash all the starch away under running water after they were done. I would like them to be more separated and sort of ‘float’ around.. Know what I mean? Any ideas how? Thanks!

    • My Cooking Hut replied: — December 14th, 2011 @ 22:38

      Hi Vidhya,
      Yes, the sago is supposed to clumped together when chilled. So, for sago pudding, it is the right texture that it should be.
      You have done right to wash all the starch away under running water. If you want them to be more separated to float around, it will be the kind of dessert that using less sago and added to more liquid, which means that sago will not be the main ingredient in the dessert. Does this help?

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