Coconut Sago Pudding with Orange Jelly Topping. Inspired by the Sago desserts at Iku, this is my own version to make at home.
Ingredients
2/3 cups sago
1 vanilla pod
2 cups water
1 (440 g) can coconut milk
stevia to taste or 1 -2 tblsp maple syrup or palm sugar to taste
ORANGE JELLY
Juice of 4 oranges
3 tsp potato starch
Method
Rinse sago and drain
Soak sago for 1 hour in 2 cups of water
Drain soaking water into saucepan, (reserve soaked sago) and add coconut milk and vanilla pod & bring to boiling point. Add sago and stir until sago is mostly clear (about 5 minutes). Mixture will have thickened and will continue to thicken as it cools. Turn off heat. Remove vanilla pod.
Add sweetener of choice – stevia for those strictly sugar free, maple syrup/palm sugar for those who can have it. Remember that stevia varies in strength and will leave a unpleasant aftertaste if you use too much, so start small and gradually add. (I used about 1 tsp of Primal Nature brand stevia powder for this recipe.) I have not specified amount of sweetener as everyone varies in taste and those who are used to a sugar free diet will probably find that the orange jelly on the top is enough sweetness.
Pour sago into individual serving dishes and leave to cool.
When sago is cool, make orange jelly – add most of orange juice to saucepan, reserving about 2 – 3 tblsp. Bring orange juice to simmering point. Add potato starch to reserved orange juice and mix well so that there are no lumps. Add to simmering orange juice and stir until mixture thickens (this happens very fast). Remove from heat.
If mixture too thick, add some more juice and stir until desired consistency. If mixture is too runny or does not thicken add some more potato starch to cold water or juice and add to hot mixture (never add potato starch directly to hot mixture or you will end up with lumps, always mix it with cold water or juice first). The jelly will not set exactly like “normal” jelly – it will be a little softer – like a very thick orange syrup.
Pour orange jelly over cooled sago and leave to set as it cools – refrigerate. Serve chilled.
This dessert keeps well in the fridge. HINT: If the sago is not sweet enough try adding 1 tsp of maple syrup drizzled on top when serving for extra sweetness.