Are you looking for something different but delicious to make as a dessert? Maybe it’s time that you discover Sago Pudding, that’s if you are not already familiar with this tasty dessert.
Sago Pudding in our home
More popularly know as “Padda Eiers” (in Afrikaans) directly translated to “Frog eggs” in our home. My mother use to make Sago pudding when we grew up, and I have to admit even my kids really like this pudding. Maybe it has something to do with the little “eggs” in the pudding. 😂 I Even introduced my Italian husband to sago pudding as he never had it before we got married. So alongside Malva pudding, sago pudding is his favourite. (P.s. Malva pudding is a very South African pudding, you will almost find it on any menu and in every shop. It’s simply delicious. If you would like to give malva pudding a try, look at this recipe.) https://www.livingdelish.com/malva-pudding/
What is Sago?
Sago is an edible starch made from the spongy centre or pith of the sago palm. The Palm is part of the Cycad Family and has been around since prehistoric times! But as a houseplant, it is grows easily in or out doors. (But, take care. The leaves are poisonous to dogs.)
Luckily we don’t consume the leaves from the sago palm. The pith is grinded to a coarse flour, dried, pounded and soaked. The sago pearls are washed and dried. Ready to use.
Once you cook the sago, the sphere swells to almost twice the size and becomes translucent.
Is sago the same as Tapioca?
The are very similar in taste and behave the same when you cook them. But they are sourced quite differently. Tapioca a starch made from the Cassava plant root crop. The root is actually called tapioca. Where as Sago is made from the Sago palm pith.
Regardless which one you decide to use or have on hand, they are 100% interchangeable.
Sago pudding
I cook sago in the microwave. This is is a super fast way of cooking the sago. Just stir often to avoid your sago from boiling over.
Ingriedients
140 g Sago, uncooked
750 ml Milk
125 ml White sugar
a pinch of salt
5 ml Vanilla essence
30ml Butter
2 eggs, separated
60 ml apricot jam
60 ml Sugar
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 ËšC
Grease a 20 cm dish and set one side.
Add the sago and milk to a microwave safe bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough and can tolerate the amount of fluid you have if doubled. As the milk boils it will raise up in your bowl.
Cook your Sago until the sago pearls becomes translucent. Regularly stir to keep your sago pearls from sticking to each other and from keeping the mixture from boiling over.
Remove from the microwave and add 125ml sugar , salt, butter, vanilla essence and stir until combined, Now add the egg yolks and stir again until combined. Pour into your prepared dish. Add dollops of Jam on top of your mixture and bake for +/- 20-30 minutes. Check your pudding by testing it with a skewer. It should not be completely dry, but set.
Once done, take the pudding out of the oven and set aside, now mix the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 60 ml of sugar, Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the meringue on top of the pudding. Return the pudding to the oven and bake until the meringue has risen and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes.
Serve hot with custard.
