Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Chef's Favourites Series : Golden Sago Dessert with Banana and Coconut - A Guest Post by Wan

Thank you all for the sweet wishes and for joining me for the celebration of my 1st blog anniversary :). Now I present you all with The Chef's Favourites Series for the month of April.  As you all know, this is a monthly guest post series where I invite some of my blogger friends to share with us one of their favourite recipes . They will also answer some simple questions so that we can know more about them :). If you have missed the previous guest posts, do check them out here

The Chef for this month is Wan of Cooking Varieties. Wan is a wonderful blogger friend of mine who has an amazing space. She not only shares recipes, but also writes so many informative and useful posts about food and health. There will be lots of new and interesting things to learn in each of her posts....be it techniques or tips, they are all so well written. You can also see some food art or sometimes you can find some posts with good food jokes too :). The best part is that you can view so many guest posts which features different cuisines across the world. It's a pleasure to say that my Tandoori Soya recipe was also featured at her space which was my first guest post ever. Thank you again Wan for that wonderful opportunity :). Please do visit Wan's space for a variety of interesting posts and recipes.

Chef Wan is sharing with us a lovely recipe which is one of her favourites - Golden Sago Dessert with Banana and Coconut. What I liked about this recipe is the usage of banana leaf and coconut for making this sweet. We South Indians use banana leaf for making some sweet and other dishes rt. Since Wan is from Malaysia, using banana leaf and coconut was a little surprising for me..something similar to our cuisine rt :) Now let' all enjoy this yummy and healthy dessert :)


Thanks a lot Wan for this wonderful guest post :) Please accept the below award as a token of Thanks :)


Over to Chef Wan now........

About me...

I am Wan Maznah from Malaysia. I blog on food at Cooking Varieties. Up keeping to the name “varieties”, my blog is a composition of things culinary, including recipes, health benefits, food art, food jokes,  cooking techniques and tips. I have incorporated international recipes from international chefs/blogger chefs via guest posts. I would love to be a culinary artist with designer food that pleases both the palate and the eyes.

I also wish to express my gratitude and special thank you to Sobha for being my guest this year and for giving me this honourable opportunity to introduce my recipe, Golden Sago dessert. Thank you.

Favourite Recipe here @ Good Food
Many equally delicious looking foods, can't single out which one.

Favourite Cook Book
None.

Favourite Chef
My favorite chef is no celebrity, but is a very experienced one on classic and vintage Malay cuisine.

Favourite Spice
Cinnamon

Favourite Restaurant  
Alladin restaurant in Kuala Lumpur- I love the mutton beryani gam..yummy always.

Favourite Cuisine
Malay - One of the favourite Malaysian dish is Fishhead curry (red snapper fish) with eggplant, tomatoes and okra.

Favourite Food Show
None in particular, depends on the recipe.

Favourite Recipe
This golden sago-banana recipe is one of my favorite recipes because it is a genuine classic heritage, using traditional banana leaves, easy to prepare, no oil and at an affordable budget, yet authentic.

Golden Sago Dessert with Banana and Coconut Recipe :

Ingredients 

2 cups sago pearls
2 medium size sweet ripe bananas- minced (do not mash)
1 cup fresh grated coconut
3 tablespoon sugar
Banana leaves (about 20 pieces, cut into 11 cm width)
Permitted food coloring- orange

Preparation 

Here in Malaysia, you can buy banana leaves from the wet market. Banana leaves need to be softened or slightly wilted, so that it won’t tear off, when folded.  To do this, you can heat the leaf over your stove fire for a few seconds. Or u can put it under the hot sun for 30- 40 minutes.

You may substitute this with some other large non-poisonous leaves. The leaf texture should not be too soft. Cooking-varieties use leaves, to ensure that the sago cooks with excellent results and not soften and get ruined if it’s boiled directly in water. This is the intricate part of cooking sago, although the recipe is very simple to follow.

When that is done, cut the banana leaves into pieces, about 11 cm wide and set aside. Leave the length as it is.  Wash sago pearls and drain away water. Do not use strainer. The sago is wet enough to enable it to soften, and not soggy.

Using a mixing bowl, add in 5 tablespoon water, food colouring and 3 tablespoon sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add in sago pearls, banana and grated coconut. Mix well and ensure that the sugar and all ingredients are properly mixed.  Set aside for 15-20 minutes to allow the ingredients blend together and to let the sago soften a bit.


Boil water in a Steamer pot. While waiting for water to boil, start wrapping up the sago using banana leaves. Shape banana leaf into a cone, fill it up with sago and press down the sago using a spoon. Fold the top to close the cone. Place and arrange this cone directly onto the Steamer pan. Repeat this, until all sago has been wrapped up. Put pan on Steamer pot. Cover with lid and let it cook for about 15- 20 minutes- depending on your steamer size/layers of cones stacked, as in the case of a small-size steamer.

You can open up one cone and check- if sago has turned translucent color, then it is already cooked. Remove from steamer and leave to cool. When serving, do not remove the leaves. It looks more authentic.



My Cooking Tip / Technique or Favourite Quote

“Avoid loud and aggressive people, they are a vexation to the spirit" - anon








36 Tasty Comments:

Angela said...

What a beautiful dish! This is truly a visual feast that I am sure is also tasty.

cookingvarieties said...

Hi Sobgha, what a wonderful surprise for me this morning.. This is awesome- such a beautiful write up from you dear.
I am very happy and honored to be in your esteem space. Hopefully, we will continue to excel in our blogging ventures and wish the same to all our blogger friends from east and west, bringing our culinary talents together on the same dining table.. Thank you very much for the beautiful award. I really love this, you did it yourself !!..
I am putting it in my blog right now. Have a nice day dear.

Hema said...

A very new and superb dish..

www.mahaslovelyhome.com said...

nice guest post......n very new recipe too..
Maha

✿Sie✿ said...

this so yummy Wan..we have like these in our country and we call it suman though it is made with sweetened rice and coconut extracts..this is a new way and I will surely try this Wan..I love eating native delicacies and this is sure one way of enjoying Malaysian food..thank you for inviting me here Wan ;)

Tina said...

sounds delicious..

Prema said...

wow yummy recipe,cannt wait to give a try:)

Kaveri Venkatesh said...

A lovely post...This dish is very new to me...and looks totally delicious.

Deeps @ Naughty Curry said...

so pretty! never come across this dessert but being a south indian,like u said the ingredients are very familiar to me

sm said...

Golden Sago Dessert with Banana
tasty and healthy dish

Suja Manoj said...

Looks so yummy,new recipe..
Nice post,congrats to both of you..

Unknown said...

such bright lovely golden color! yummy

Vidhya said...

Yum,would love to try this.

manju said...

wow..i love using banan leaf while making such sweets..steaming makes it excellent..good post Wan.

Anjali Bapna Shukla said...

This looks heavenly!! A spectacular recipe with excellent clicks!! :)

Ongoing Event: Cooking Made Easy With Yogurt

Teena said...

wow..Interesting, yummy & creative recipe!!

Julie said...

Interesting recipe & a very good blogger friend of mine too..lovely post,Sobha :-)

Erivum Puliyum

Sangeetha M said...

Great job Sobha,such a lovely guest post by Wan...sago dessert sounds very delicious...loved it!!
Spicy Treats

Rasi said...

lovely guest post again & wan had done a lovely dish with sago.. never knew about this.. look great :)

Ongoing Event : WTML

Anonymous said...

Such a pretty dish...and I'm a fan of Wan! Thank you for sharing!

Sagittarian said...

Hi Sobgha..:) This is my first time here,and I enjoyed much, thanks to my friend Wan for sharing me your link, now I have another blog to follow, I like your blog!:)

Cooking Varieties is one of my favorite blog, and Chef Wan is one of the best chef for me. She never failed her readers, followers and friends when it comes to recipes,tips, delicious, healthy and practical cooking tips. You name it she got it!:) Yes that's how versatile Chef Wan is..:) I love her jokes, she never let her blog post dull..:)

Thanks for featuring Chef wan,,:) I love her yummy Golden Sago Dessert with Banana and Coconut.. So yummmmmmmy!!!:) Thanks Sobgha!! Have a wonderful day! :)

Pari Vasisht said...

Beautiful creation and such an unusual combination, Congrats Cooking Varieties and Sobha, great going gal.


FOODELICIOUS

APRIL EVENT, ‘ONLY’- SNACKS & STARTERS + COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY

manisha said...

very interesting recipe

Rani acharyulu said...

What a visual treat....amazing recipe!!

Anisha said...

This is an interesting guest post n a very new recipe too... I would love to try it out... I have everything easily available here... :)

Achu's Amma's Kitchen said...

wow dear..my eyes r popping out..wat a wonderfull treat for eyes..awesome dear..drooling here

Treat and Trick said...

So authentic and delightful bite! Thanks to you and Wan for this great post!

Sobha Shyam said...

Thanks a lot Wan for such a lovely guest post..these look absolutely yummy, authentic and traditional style..i would love to try this out soon :) Using banana leaf sure imparts a flavour and makes it more delicious :) Thanx again dear :)

Sensible Vegetarian said...

Such a wonderful guest post. Kudos to you both.

Sagittarian said...

Hi, i'm back.:) Thanks for visiting my blog too..:) My apology about your name, hehe.. I copied your name with Wan comment here.. :)

Thanks a lot Sobha..:) Have a blessed day! :)

hyd said...

Wow....eye catching presentation...

hyderabadonnet.com

easyfoodsmith said...

Very beautiful dish and the taste sounds good too. Lovely guest post.

Archana said...

Shobha what a beautiful post. Delicious but simple and beautiful. Thanks.

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

absolutely heavenly recipe..thanks for sharing Wan..
excellent guest post..!
hats off to both of you Shoba..:)

Tasty Appetite

La @ FoodSlice said...

Amazing recipe and beautiful pics. I have to try that soon.

cookingvarieties said...

hi sobha, just to say thank you for hosting my recipe and your kind thoughts as well..
would like to inform you that i have just visited your friends who put in sweet comments on my post “sago dessert” here.

But i could not reply Kaveri and Hyd(Nyderabad) cos there is no post. Have a nice day dear

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