Four Malay Desserts that Will Blow Your Mind: Ais Kacang, Sago Gula Melaka, and More

Why not host a Malaysian feast at home, with some hot and spicy nasi goreng, and end the meal with any of these desserts we’ve mentioned below?

Travel around Malaysia with these four desserts that can also double up as snacks or even a filling meal (especially if you have a sweet tooth). Why not host a Malaysian feast at home, with some hot and spicy nasi goreng, and end the meal with any of these desserts we’ve mentioned below? Note: Feel free to explore alternatives if some ingredients are hard to find.

Ais Kacang

This shaved ice dessert is popular in many Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Toppings and syrups vary from region to region. For this recipe, if you have difficulty finding grass jelly and palm seeds, you can replace them with regular jelly and fruits of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of crushed ice

For the syrup:

• ¼ cup of dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup of water

For toppings:

• 2 tbsp of condensed milk
• 2 tbsp of boiled red beans
• 2 tbsp of cream-style sweetcorn
• 2 pieces of grass jelly

Fruits of your choice (traditionally attap chee or palm tree seeds are used)

Instructions:

• To make the syrup, heat all of the ingredients in a saucepan. When the syrup starts to bubble, take the saucepan off the heat.
• Blend the crushed ice in your mixer till you get fine shards. Transfer into a serving bowl.
• Add the sugar syrup and other topping ingredients.

Sago Gula Melaka

This dessert is traditionally sweetened with gula melaka, crafted from palm sap, it shares a taste, color, and texture akin to jaggery. If you can’t find gula melaka, substitute it with jaggery, regular sugar, or coconut sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups of water
• 4 tbsp of sago pearls
• 4 tbsp of palm sugar or any sweetener of choice
• 2 tbsp of water
• ½ cup of canned coconut milk

Instructions:

• Bring the 2 ½ cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Add the sago pearls to the water and keep stirring to avoid them from sticking together.
• Cook the sago pearls till they turn translucent. This is the most obvious way to deduce whether they are cooked or not.
• Transfer them into a serving bowl of choice or individual bowls, then refrigerate either for a few hours or overnight.
• Right before eating, make the sugar by melting the sugar and palm sugar.
• Unmold the sago pearls, drizzle the palm sugar syrup, and the coconut milk.

Bubur Pulut Hitam

A delicious rice pudding Southeast Asia style that is soft, gooey and utterly wholesome. Ladle the coconut cream sauce generously over it and savor every spoonful.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of black glutinous rice
• ¾ cup of coconut sugar
• 3 ¼ cups of water
• 3 pandan leaves
• 1 cup of canned coconut sauce for topping
• A pinch of salt

Instructions:

• Rinse the glutinous black rice thoroughly and let it soak overnight.
• Drain the water and blend the rice into smaller pieces, avoiding over-powdering.
• Transfer the rice to a pressure cooker with water, pandan leaves, and sugar. Cook for 4-5 whistles on medium heat.
• Remove the pandan leaves after the pressure subsides, aiming for a pudding or thick porridge consistency.
• If the water dries out, add more and continue cooking until you achieve the desired consistency.
• Serve with a quick coconut sauce made from canned milk and a pinch of salt, poured over the porridge.
• Enjoy it cold or warm.

Pisang Goreng

You might know of Kerala-style banana fritters pazham pori, but similar banana fritters are also popular in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore. Make them with bananas or plantains, the choice is yours. Serve with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of rice flour
• ¼ cup of regular refined flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tbsp of white sugar
• ¼ tsp of salt
• ¾ cup of water
• 4 firm bananas
• 2 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions:

• First, prepare the batter by combining rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
• Gradually add water until the batter is thick enough to completely coat the banana slices.
• Heat oil in a deep kadhai.
• While the oil is heating, slice the bananas in half or in your preferred shape.
• Dip each banana piece in the batter and fry until golden brown.
• Repeat this process until all banana pieces are fried.