KITCHEN厨房日记: Kuih Sago (Sago Cake)

I usually prefer to cook/bake western dessert, like cakes and cookies, because I can keep them for few days as breakfast (part of saving budget). Asian dessert usually requires ingredients like yeast, santan (coconut milk), pulut (glutinous rice), which are sometimes, tedious to store or prepare.

However, I still have soft spot for Asian dessert, especially Malay and Nyonya traditional kuih (cake). I can never resist anything with sago, glutinous rice, shredded coconut and gula melaka (coconut sugar). [TIPS: While savoring these heritage foods, just beware of the sugar level and cholesterol.] When I went back to hometown, I grabbed the chance to try this recipe – Kuih Sago, due to 2 reasons. First, there is a big wok that is suitable to steam cake in my house (hometown). Second, I am just too lazy to go buy santan and shredded coconut in wet market, and back in hometown, my mum can arrange that. I’m such a lazy bum, can’t help it.

This is simple to make. Soak dry sago in water for 3 hours (I personally think 2 hours is enough, so that the sago will not be overcooked). Drain them, and add in santan, sugar, pinch of salt, pandan essence and green/red coloring. [TIPS: Drain the sago really well, squeezing out the water content as much as possible.] Pour into a tray and steam for 30 minutes, until the kuih firms up. Scoop away remaining santan or water droplets on top of the kuih. Cut into pieces and serve with shredded coconut.

Soaked sago

In the steaming hot wok

I had a hard time to adjust the amount of ingredients, as the recipe I had is for a big portion (10 inch round tray) – 500g sago and 300g snow frog jelly. I omitted the snow frog jelly, and used 300g dry sago, and still ended up with 2 trays (6-7 inch round tray) of kuih. Then I realized, perhaps the 500g sago in the recipe means 500g wet sago (after soak). Due to this uncertainty, the kuih is too soft and sticky. [TIPS: Kuih Sago should be soft but firm, with the sago clearly visible.] Well, the taste is nice, and we had a good time with it.

Fresh from wok

Love the colors!

Oh yes, let’s have some Bahasa Melayu (Malay) lesson today. I had a hard time when buying shredded coconut, as the shop keeper conversed well in Tamil and Malay, and I don’t know what is ‘shredded coconut’ in Tamil or Malay. I just kept pointing at the coconut shells, saying ‘coconut, coconut…’ Damn embarrassing. Lucky for me, she understood what I want. Then I realized the board hung over on top: Santan, Kelapa Parut.

Santan – Coconut Milk

Kelapa Parut – Shredded Coconut

Hope it helps you all!