Sago & Salted Gula Melaka Syrup

Of Peranakan (Chinese-Malay) origin, this dessert of Sago, which is a STARCH extracted from tropical palms and its usually found in the form of round 'pearls' of which after it has been boiled, are translucent, soft, silky smooth & spongy paired with a flood of deep, rich, sweet & aromatic Gula Melaka Syrup. Gula melaka (also known as Palm Sugar) is made by first extracting the sap from the flower bud of a coconut tree.   The sap is then boiled until it thickens & caramelised after which, it is poured into bamboo tubes and left to solidify to form cylindrical cake blocks. The best Gula Melaka, in our opinion is from Malacca, where else? 

Here is the recipe which I got from Lyn Loh & her guidance via whatsapp one Selangor Public Holiday afternoon from her office ;)

Ingredients

Sago Pearls - mini size - 250 grams
Gula Melaka - 2 cylinder blocks
Brown Sugar/Molasses - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Coconut Cream - 1st extraction from 1 coconut (about 250ml)
Fresh Coconut shavings - 2-3 tbsp
Pandanus Leaves - 4
Water

Method - Sago

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
2. Sprinkle the dried Sago Pearls into the boiling water.
3. Add in a knot of pandan leaves.
4. Stir the pearls around as not to allow them to stick to the bottom of the pot.
5. The pot of water will turn starchy very soon, continue to stir for 10 mins.
6. You will notice that the outsides of the pearls will turn translucent as you stir and the opaque whites will become tinier and tinier towards the middle. 
7. At about the 10th minute mark, the pearls will only have tiny white specks in the middle.
8. Pour in a cup of room temperature water into the pot and turn off the heat immediately.
9. Cover the pot and allow to stand for another 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes standing time, most of the white specks would have faded away.
11. Sieve the pearls out from the pot and wash the excess starch with cold running water. Give it several washes until the pearls are no longer as sticky Running through them with your hands will feel like thousands of tiny smooth individual pearls waiting to be popped.
12. Add in 2-3 tbsp of freshly shaved/grated coconut flesh. Mix them together. This is to add a different texture/dimension/sensation to the bite. Omit if you do not like the crunch.
13. Wet your moulds and pack in the gleaming sago pearls and coconut bits.
14. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Method - Gula Melaka Syrup

1. Shave 2 cylinder blocks of Gula Melaka.
2. Into a pot, add shaved Gula Melaka, brown sugar/molasses, salt & 2-3 tsp of water & a knot of pandan leaves.
3. Melt the sugar in low heat, keep a watchful eye over the pot so as not to burn the precious sugars!
4. Once the sugars have melted, slowly pour in the coconut cream and immediately turn off the heat.
5. Stir the syrup and allow to cool.
6. Once cooled, the syrup will thicken.

Ribbon the thick GM Syrup over the bland cold sago & magically turn the pudding into a wonderous addiction that will send anyone on a first class ticket to heaven!

Photos :-