Sago Pearls Dessert

Lovely as the name sounds, this dessert is a true Malaysian favourite consisting of every ingredient “Malaysian”. I would like to dedicate this dessert to all my blogsphere friends and readers “Selamat menyambut Hari Merdeka!” in other words “Happy 50th Independence Day”.

No curries or spicy dishes from me this year to usher in our “Merdeka Open House 2007 celebration” hosted by Babe in the City . I shall leave those lovely dishes to Rasa Malaysia with her killer gulai sotong post. Who can beat that! So, so appetising! Secretly wishing inside the sotong body there lies lots of sotong eggs…..wow!

Here’s how I define this dessert.

Sago pearls cooked to perfection (notice no white dot uncooked centre in each pearl) symbolises that God has given us a perfect little place to live in and it is up to us to make that a reality for our future generation who knows little of our struggle for unity and harmony.

Gula Melaka (palm sugar) symbolises the sweetness life has to offer when we accept not only tolerate one another’s weakness in love and understanding.

Santan (coconut cream) symbolises a tide that binds us together just like the waves of the seas that surrounds our country.

Ingredients (serves 5)

120 gm dried sago pearls
1 litre of filtered water
cream of 1 coconut
pinch of salt
150 gm chopped gula melaka
2 pandan leaves (bruised and knotted)
20 ml hot boiling water

Method

1. Bring the litre of water to boil. Pour in the dried sago pearls slowly, stir well with a spoon.
2. Boil sago over low heat and cover with a lid. Stir constantly until sago pearls turn transparent approximately 10 minutes.
3. Pour sago into a huge small-holed sieve and run cold water through. The purpose of this method is to wash away all the unwanted starch generated while boiling in order to get beautiful individual tiny pearls.
4. Scoop into serving glasses and refrigerate.
5. Next, combine the chopped gula melaka with the hot boiling water and pandan leaves. Bring to boil for 3 – 5 minutes on low heat until all the gula melaka turns to liquid syrup. Remove from heat, discard pandan leaves and set aside to cool in a jug.
6. Add a little salt to the coconut cream and keep refrigerated in a small jug.
7. When ready to serve, just take out the sago glasses, pour in gula melaka syrup and topped with santan. (I usually let my guests do this themselves so that it will be according to their own preference of sweetness.)