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–+ servings
A bowl of sago pudding with young coconut meat

Real Sago Pudding

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Experience the real sago pearls, made from actual sago palm, in this most iconic dish - a simple pudding that allows the true flavours of the pearls shine.
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1.8 oz true sago pearls
  • 1 ½ cups water, see note 1
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ pandan leaf, optional, see note 2
  • ½ cup young coconut meat, julienned, optional

Salted Coconut Milk

Notes

  1. If using pandan leaf, you will need to increase the water to 2 cups (480 ml)
  2. In the video I did not use pandan leaves because I wanted to taste the pure flavour of the sago, but traditionally pandan leaves are infused either into the pudding or the coconut milk.

Instructions
 

  • (If not using pandan leaf, skip to step 2). Tie the pandan leaf into a knot to shorten and help bruise the leaf and release the aroma. Add the pandan leaf into a small pot and add 2 cups (480 ml) of water; bring to a boil and let it boil for about 3 minutes to extract the aroma.
    ½ pandan leaf
  • If not using pandan leaf, add 1 ½ cups (360 ml) of water to a small pot and bring to a full boil.
    1 ½ cups water
  • Once the water is fully boiling, remove the pandan leaf, if using, then gradually sprinkle in the sago pearls while quickly stirring - then keep stirring constantly for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes; most of the pearls should be translucent on the outside, with the white center still visible. If it is too thick, add a little bit of water to loosen.
    1.8 oz true sago pearls
  • Once cooked, turn off the heat and add sugar and young coconut meat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let it rest and cool down a bit while you make the salted coconut milk.
    3 tablespoon sugar, ½ cup young coconut meat, julienned
  • To make the salted coconut milk, combine the coconut milk and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer to dissolve the salt and remove from heat. Alternatively, you can just heat it up in the microwave.
    ½ cup coconut milk, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
  • To serve, while still warm ladle a portion of the sago pudding into a bowl and top it with about 2 tablespoons of the salted coconut milk. How much coconut milk to add is up to your preference, so feel free to add more or less.
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