Local delicacies
Sago gula melaka
Pearls under palm sugar.
Three components, served separately and combined in the bowl. The syrup is the dish — sago is close to flavourless on its own, and salted coconut milk is there to stop the whole thing being one flat note of sweetness.
- Serves
- 4
- Time
- 30 minutes, plus chilling
Ingredients
Sago
- 200 g sago pearls
- Plenty of water, for boiling
Syrup
- 200 g coconut sugar block, chopped
- 100 ml water
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted
To serve
- 200 ml coconut milk
- A good pinch of salt
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil — far more than looks necessary, or the sago turns to paste.
- Pour in the sago, stir once so it does not settle, and boil until the pearls are translucent with only a small white dot left in the centre.
- Drain and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear and the pearls stop sticking.
- Press the sago into small bowls or moulds and chill until set.
- Cook the chopped block, water and pandan leaf over a low heat until dissolved, then let it cool. It should pour, not run.
- Stir the salt into the coconut milk.
- Turn the sago out, and let each person pour over their own syrup and coconut milk.
Rinsing is not optional. Unrinsed sago sets into a single block instead of separate pearls.
