Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen

So enough of you have messaged me about my Facebook status update concerning my attempt at making durian pengat, which effectively derailed my New Year’s resolution to lose weight. So here’s a photo:

I’m not sure why I’m on a nyonya dessert-making binge at the moment… two weeks ago, I made tau suan, and I’m now itching to make my own kueh salat and apom berkuah. Is this due to the cold weather, mild home sickness or just my inner bibik kicking in? Answers on a postcard, please.
And to those of you who asked, yes, we can get durian in New York. Most Chinese supermarkets carry frozen Monthongs from Thailand - which aren’t as tasty, but also aren’t as smelly as the ones from Malaysia. We find that if left to thaw overnight, the frozen Monthongs turn out to be pretty decent. Also, the husks become soft enough that you can just cut them open with scissors!

Anyway, the recipe follows after the jump, just in case any of you want to abandon your resolutions too.

COLIN’S RESOLUTION-DESTROYING DURIAN PENGAT

300 g mung beans
50g sago
150g sugar
80g palm sugar (gula melaka)
200ml coconut milk
100g durian pulp
1 cinnamon stick
2 pandan leaves, knotted
1.5 litres water
A pinch of salt

1. Wash mung beans and soak for 2-3 hours.

2. Boil gula melaka and sugar in 150 ml of water over low hear until sugar melts. Strain the resulting syrup.

3. Boil pandan leaves and cinnamon stick in 1.5 litres of water. Add drained mung beans. Simmer till beans are soft.

4. Add the sago pearls and keep stirring the pot to prevent sago from sticking to the bottom.

5. Add the coconut milk, sugar syrup and salt. Cook till sago is transparent.

6. To serve, scoop the pengat into a bowl and top with durian pulp. Stir, so durian melts into a glorious goop.

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