New watermark! I’ve been on and off the fence about getting my photographs watermarked. On the one hand, I don’t want people to think that I feel my photos are so good they’re worth stealing. But on the other,you know, you can never be too careful. And so I will not tarnish my photos with my name; but instead with the abbreviation of this ongoing blog :)

But enough about that. This is mango-sago pudding. A real simple crowd-pleaser that takes no time (or fuss) to make. You can always substitute the mangoes with whatever fruits you like (raspberry, strawberry or jackfruit will equally make a stellar dessert).

Mango-Sago Pudding:

[ 450ml coconut milk + 250ml condensed milk + 3tbsp cornflour + 80g cooked tapioca pearl/sago + 1 mango (make sure they’re sweet mangoes) + 2 star anise (substitute: 1 vanilla pod, 1 stick cinnamon) + 1tsp salt ]

Take a pan and heat the coconut milk on low heat.

*Remember to not let the coconut milk boil, or it will start to break i.e the oil will separate. Just let it simmer.

Add HALF the amount of condensed milk. stir (or whisk lightly)

Throw in the star anise and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 mins. Add in the cornflour (do this by putting a ladle of coconut milk before simmering into a small bowl, add the cornflour and whisk with a fork until dissolved. Then return liquid to the pan and stir).

Throw in the cooked tapioca pearls/sago. Follow the instructions on your sago packet on how to cook it. Basically:

- Boil some water (twice the amount of sago you’re going to cook)

- Throw in your tapioca pearls

- Leave to boil for about 25 minutes. Stirring from time to time to prevent them from clumping.

- Then turn off the heat, put on the lid and leave them be for another 20 mins.

- Rinse the pearls with warm water to remove excess starch.

Give it a little whisk and leave to simmer for about 10 mins. Meanwhile..

Prep the mango!

Give it a good rinse to clean.

Then cut the mangoes as close to the seed/center as possible. You will get 4 “cheeks” (yes, that’s what you call them).

Take the mango cheek and make a grid with your knife, NOT cutting all the way through the skin.

Then just scoop the dices with a spoon. Piece of cake, right?

Use the dices from 2 cheeks to add to the pudding mixture. Give it a stir. Turn off the heat and leave it be for 10 mins.

Then add the rest of the condensed milk. I’m not sure why I did this, but I find that adding the rest while it’s a bit cool adds a bit more of that oh-so-good sweetness from the condensed milk.

Use the diced mango from the other 2 cheeks to make mango puree.

To serve: Take your nice bowl/cup or whatevers and fill it with the pudding. Top with mango puree, sprinkle with some toasted coconut and almond slices.

I prefer to eat this after it’s been chilling for a while in the fridge. Some people like it warm. Go ahead and do your own thang :)

Enjoy!