Gula Melaka Mango Sago Pudding

 Gula melaka sago is one of my favourite desserts. Every time I visit Malaysia, I never fail to encounter this dish. It is made up of a pearl sago pudding, flooded with rich, pandan-infused coconut milk and a caramel-like palm sugar syrup. What's not to love about it? Of course, due to health concerns, I rarely partake of this dish nowadays. But when I do, I thoroughly relish it.

  I added cubes of mango at the side to complement this dishand bring out a feel of the tropics. It is best served on a hot day, when you're just craving for a cold dessert.
  

Gula Melaka Sago with Mango Recipe, adapted from Jewel Pie
Ingredients:
100g pearl sago
100g gula melaka
125ml coconut milk
4 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
pinch of salt
1l water + 2tbsp water, divided
1 mango, cubed

Method:
1. Wash pearl sago and soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large pot, bring 1l water to a boil over medium to medium high heat. Add in sago. Stir constantly to prevent it from clumping together. Boil until it is cooked, when it is translucent with a white dot in the middle, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Leave it for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the sago and water into a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over it to remove excess starch.
4. Once drained, separate the sago mixture into 4 ramekins(you may want to brush the ramekins with vegetable oil to ease the unmoulding stage). Leave it to cool, then refrigerate it until set.
5. Combine coconut milk, pandan leaves and salt in a small saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil over low heat. Remove from heat once it bubbles. Discard the leaves. Set the coconut milk aside to cool.
6. Using the same pan, combine water and gula melaka. Over low heat, stir until it dissolves. Be careful it doesn't burn. Once dissolved, set a side to cool.
7. Unmould the sago puddings. Pour the coconut milk and palm sugar mixture over it and serve with mango at the side.