SAGO

sago pudding with almonds and pistachios

The first time I tasted this pudding was at the Heritage House in Sharjah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, where my friend Sheikha Bodour al-Qasimi introduced me to Emirati food. She had arranged for the ladies who cook at the center to show me how to prepare an incredible selection of sumptuous Emirati dishes for us to feast on. When it came time for dessert, I uncovered a large dish and found sago. I loved the translucent orange color and the little bubbles all over but didn’t know anything about it because the ladies had brought it with them. Sheikha Bodour explained that it was one of their classic desserts, made with tiny sago pellets and caramelized sugar and flavored with saffron and cardamom, the two most expensive spices in the world. When it came to helping myself I struggled to get just a little on the spoon—it seemed to stretch almost indefinitely. Luckily, one of the ladies had no trouble scooping a large portion onto my plate, which I ate with pleasure. Both the texture—half jelly, half thick pudding—and the subtle, not-too-sweet flavor enhanced by the spices were tantalizing. Sago is really best eaten on the day it is prepared, served warm or at room temperature.

SERVES 6

1 cup [175 g] small sago pearls (see facing page)

¹/₄ tsp saffron threads

2 Tbsp rose water

1 cup [200 g] organic cane sugar

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

1¹/₂ tsp ground cardamom

Ghee (see page 14), for brushing (optional)

¹/₄ cup [40 g] slivered almonds

¹/₄ cup [40 g] slivered or chopped pistachios

Soak the sago pearls in 1 cup [240 ml] water for 1 hour. Soak the saffron in the rose water.

Bring 4 cups [460 ml] water to a boil.

Put the sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir the sugar until it has completely melted and is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to let it burn. Carefully add the boiling water a little at a time—the water will splatter as soon as it touches the caramel, so cover your hand and arm and turn your face away. Let bubble until the caramel has completely dissolved in the water.

Add the sago to the caramel syrup. Let it simmer, stirring very regularly, until the sago has swelled and you no longer see any trails of white, about 30 minutes. The mixture should be sticky but not too thick, a little like stretchy jelly.

Add the sunflower oil and cardamom and mix well. Add the saffron–rose water mixture and combine well. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow 1¹/₂-qt [1.5-L] serving bowl. Let cool a little, and then brush the surface with ghee. Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature, scatter the nuts all over and serve.

sago

Sago pearls are tiny white pellets of starch extracted from the pith of the trunk of a sago palm or similar species of palm. Sago can also be extracted from the trunk of some cycads. To get the sago, the ten- to fifteen-year-old palms are chopped down just before they flower; the trunk is cut into sections to facilitate the extraction of its heart. The starch is then separated and made into a dough that is pressed through a sieve to produce pearls of different sizes. Those used in the Sago Pudding with Almonds and Pistachios are small, more or less the size of brown lentils. Even though sago is similar to tapioca when cooked, it is not the same starch. Sago, on its own, does not have much flavor; its appeal lies in the texture that it brings to the dish.