Dinner Party Ready: Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar Syrup!

Sago pudding is a delicious make-ahead dessert that is perfect for dinner parties. You can make the puddings a day ahead of time and then just pour the syrup and coconut milk at the table! The sago has a lovely texture and a contrast of flavours from the creamy coconut milk and the sweet palm sugar syrup. It is a budget friendly dessert that is also vegan and gluten free! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader.

This sago tapioca pudding is a classic Malaysian dessert. I absolutely love this for dessert and it's such a comforting dish. And if you're looking to make a spectacularly delicious but cost effective dessert that also happens to be vegan and gluten and grain free, this sago pudding is it! All it requires is tapioca pearls, coconut milk and sugar. That means dessert for 6 people will cost less than $10!

Tips For Making Sago Pudding

1- Sago are the edible starch from the pith of palm trees. The pith is scraped from the trunk, washed and dried to create a flour and then shaped into small granules. It is gluten and grain free. A tapioca pearl, or tapioca ball, is an edible translucent sphere made from tapioca starch, which is derived from the cassava root. Tapioca pearls came about as an easier and cheaper alternative to sago that is often hard to find. We will be using tapioca pearls in this recipe although this dessert is commonly known as sago pudding.

2 - Let's talk palm sugar! Palm sugar is made from the sap of coconut palm flower buds and occasionally from other palm varieties. Thai and Cambodian palm sugar is paler than Malaysian and Indonesian palm sugar or gula melaka. They also taste different too. If you like the flavour of caramel or brown sugar go for the Thai/Cambodian palm sugar but if you prefer the taste of molasses, try the Malaysian/Indonesian gula melaka.

3 - If you cannot source palm sugar, brown sugar or even golden syrup would work in this recipe.

4 - I love adding a pandan leaf into the water when boiling the water. It's not strictly necessary but it really adds a gorgeous aroma to the sago. I have a packet of pandan leaves that I keep in the freezer for whenever I need them. You can find pandan leaves in the freezer section of your Asian grocery store. These are great to flavour food. Try adding a knotted pandan leaf in rice when steaming rice for Asian dishes.

5 - I always add a generous amount of salt in the coconut milk to balance the sweetness of the syrup.

6 - Cooking sago can get gluggy especially when it comes to cleaning pots and sieves. Hot water is the easiest way to clean pots but to clean sieves use a nylon cleaning brush. If your brush has a lot of stickiness still on it, run it through the dishwasher.

7 - Sago set in the moulds can keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. If it lasts that long! ;)

Mr NQN devoured this dessert. He was having a trying day at work and I knew that I was going out to a dinner by myself so I thought that if I left him a couple of these, that might go towards righting the wrongs of the day. I arrived at the event at 6pm and made my way upstairs to the restaurant. It was a dinner for a hotel chain's birthday and everyone was dressed up very nicely. I was glad that I had ditched my boring winter clothes for something a bit dressier for the evening because I would have felt out of place.

I met some travel and food writer friends in the queue to get in and we greeted each other with hugs and kisses. The staff ticked off my name and showed me to one of two tables that were reserved for us. The only thing was that all of the travel writers sat at one table while I was the only one at the other table. There was no assigned seating but I was told I could sit anywhere but two seats that were reserved. I saw them look over at me wondering what was happening but I shrugged and smiled.

I took photos, messaged friends and waited 15 minutes and then my remaining tablemates arrived. It was the country's ambassador and his wife and they were sitting at the reserved seats. The rest of the table arrived and they were upper management of the hotel and VIPs. And li'l old me. I looked around and wondered if they would move me to another table whispering, "I'm sorry you're not supposed to be here."

Sometimes going to an event by yourself can be difficult especially if other people are in couples but everyone was by themselves (apart from the Ambassador and his wife) so they all made an effort to chat. And I'm glad to report that despite the strong imposter syndrome, nobody ever told me that I had to leave the table!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever get imposter syndrome? Have you ever tried this dish and do you like it?

Sago Pudding

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

This recipe is best made a day ahead of time

• 6 cups water
• 1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot
• 200g/7ozs tapioca pearls, rinsed in a sieve
• 220g/7.8ozs palm sugar, sliced
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs water
• 500ml/1pint coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

You will also need 6x jelly moulds or cups (regular porcelain cups will work)

Step 1 - First start with the tapioca as it needs to set overnight or for 6 hours. Place the water onto boil and add the pandan leaf. Add the tapioca and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently with a flat bottomed wooden spoon or spatula to prevent the tapioca sticking to the bottom of the pot. It will take around 15 minutes for the tapioca to swell and cook. While the tapioca is cooking prepare the mold. Brush or spray with oil spray but blot any extra oil with a paper towel.

Step 2 - The tapioca is ready once there are no white dots in the balls and they become translucent. In two or three lots, drain the tapioca in a fine sieve and rinse very well discarding the pandan leaf. Scoop into the prepared cups and cool to room temperature. Place in an airtight box and chill in the fridge overnight or for 6 hours. The tapioca will gelify and solidify.

Step 3 - Slice the palm sugar up and melt in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the water in and stir to combine and then remove from heat and place in a jug. Whisk the coconut milk and salt and set aside in a jug.

Step 4 - Gently pry away the tapioca from the sides of the mold, it should come away from the sides easily in one piece. Place the tapioca under an upturned bowl and turn right side up and remove the mould. Pour the coconut over the centre of the tapioca and then pour the gula melaka syrup over this.