PULUT HITAM

Serves  8–10

Many know this dessert to be Peranakan, but this black glutinous rice pudding is also a popular dessert among the Eurasians. While the popular versions of this dessert is served simply sweetened with palm sugar and flavoured with coconut milk, this Eurasian recipe features cubed sweet potatoes for added taste and texture.

Black glutinous rice 500 g (1 lb 1½ oz),
washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes

Pandan leaves 6, cleaned and knotted
Water 1 litre (32 fl oz / 4 cups)
Rock sugar 100 g (3½ oz)

Sweet potatoes 2, peeled and cut into
1-cm (½-in) cubes

Grated coconut 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz)
Salt a pinch

1.   Place glutinous rice, pandan leaves and 500 ml (16 fl oz / 2 cups) water in a pot
and bring to boil. As the rice cooks, add the remaining water gradually. This will
ensure that the grains retain a firm texture. The glutinous rice should start to soften
after about 20 minutes.

2.   Add rock sugar and sweet potatoes and continue boiling until sweet potatoes are
soft. Add a little more water if mixture is too thick.

3.   As sweet potatoes are cooking, mix grated coconut with 100 ml (3½ fl oz) warm
water. Place into a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much coconut milk as you can.

4.   Add coconut milk and salt to pot. Stir to mix and serve immediately.

NOTE

•  As coconut milk spoils easily, stir it into the cooked rice only when you are ready to serve.

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EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking