Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run
Gather everything first, then follow the steps
Carbs· 1
- 40 g sago pearls (dry)40g
Vegetables· 1
- ½ pandan leaf (knotted)3g
Sauces· 2
- 12 g palm sugar (gula melaka)12g
- 30 g lite coconut milk30g
Spices· 1
- 1 pinch salt(staple)1g
- 10 min · hands-free
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the sago and cook over medium heat for ~10 min, until only a tiny white dot remains at each pearl's centre.
Why? Sago is almost flavourless and only there for its springy bite, so cook it just to translucent — that way all the sweetness comes from the precisely measured palm sugar later, and never runs away.Tip: Use plenty of water and stir often so the sago doesn't clump.
10:00Next up:Tip the sago into a sieve and rinse under cold water until fully clear and no longer sticky, then pack into a small bowl to set.
Tip the sago into a sieve and rinse under cold water until fully clear and no longer sticky, then pack into a small bowl to set.
Why? The cold rinse washes off surface starch so the pearls turn separate, clear and bouncy; setting it in a small bowl also keeps the portion in check so it doesn't creep up.Tip: Rinse until the water runs completely clear for the best bounce.
Next up:In a small pot, simmer the palm sugar, knotted pandan and 2 tbsp water over low heat for 2–3 min until the sugar melts into a thick syrup.
In a small pot, simmer the palm sugar, knotted pandan and 2 tbsp water over low heat for 2–3 min until the sugar melts into a thick syrup.
Why? Palm sugar is where this dessert's calories really come from — measuring 12 g and reducing it alone into a syrup lets the least sugar buy the deepest caramel aroma.Watch out: Keep the heat low — the syrup scorches and turns bitter the moment it boils hard.Next up:Drizzle the palm-sugar syrup over the sago, then trickle the lite coconut milk in a ring around the edge and add a pinch of salt.
Drizzle the palm-sugar syrup over the sago, then trickle the lite coconut milk in a ring around the edge and add a pinch of salt.
Why? The original drowns the sago in a whole bowl of full-fat santan, doubling the fat; drizzling just a ring of lite coconut milk keeps the creamy taste while cutting a big chunk of the calories.Tip: That pinch of salt lifts both the caramel sweetness and the coconut creaminess.