Recreate a meal from your childhood.
I like today’s theme, as it’s prompted me to start making a dish that I haven’t eaten in years, but always loved as a child. There’s something comforting about sago pudding – perhaps because of its simplicity, or maybe the fact that memories are linked to warm bowls of it for dessert on a cool winter’s night.
Sago has such an interesting texture – I think we used to call it ‘frog’s eggs’, a name that likely came from dad (along with the charming ‘snot blocks’) and it may be one of those things that you either love or hate. I’m definitely a fan, and the bear is too – he was so excited when I wasn’t happy with my first set of photos and declared I would have to make it again. I’m glad somebody was able to see the positive.
I could never pick which was my favourite – the milky one or the lemon one, both so delicious in their own right. The milky version was creamy and sweet, often laden with drizzles of golden syrup on top, but the lemon so zesty. Both were such a treat!
Coconut Sago Pudding
(makes 2 large or 3 smaller serves)
½ cup sago (tapioca pearls)
1 ½ cup milk
1 ½ cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup agave or brown rice syrup
Pinch of salt
Toppings of choice – banana, toasted coconut, extra syrup
Cover sago with water and let sit for thirty minutes.
Drain any excess liquid and put the sago in a pot, along with remaining ingredients except for the toppings. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly to ensure the sago doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once boiled, turn down to a low simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until the sago pearls become translucent. Make sure you stir continuously to avoid sticking.
Remove from heat and serve warm or allow to cool. Top with some brown rice syrup, banana and toasted coconut for extra deliciousness.
Lemon Sago
(makes 2 large or 3 small serves)
½ cup sago
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp rice bran syrup
Cover sago with water and let sit for thirty minutes.
Drain any excess liquid and put the sago in a pot, along with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly to ensure the sago doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once boiled, turn down to a low simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until the sago pearls become translucent. Make sure you stir continuously to avoid sticking.
Remove from heat and serve warm or allow to cool.
I never grew up with sago and have only really been eating it in the last few years but never make it at home (always at one of those Gopals kinds of places). I’ll give this a try, I have sago in the pantry but haven’t done anything with it!
Yeah actually I think before I re-started making it, the last place I had it was Lentil As Anything! Hehe. I really like the stuff, so gooey and weird.
Ooh, thank you for posting these! I have a jar of sago pearls in my cupboard but I’ve only ever used them in a seitan recipe, so I’d love to try one of these puddings.
Thanks Bonnie! Wow – in a seitan recipe? How did that work out? Sounds interesting!
Oops, I hadn’t seen your question earlier — just came back to look at the lemon sago recipe again. 🙂 I used them in the gobbler slices from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day:
http://www.veganappetite.com/2011/10/gobbler-slices.html
The recipe calls for instant tapioca but I made it with small sago pearls and it turned out great.
Wow, I never would have thought of that!! I suppose it is the same stuff as tapioca flour so it would act as a thickener. What a strange world we live in. Ha!
I never had sago pudding as a kid and am not that sure if I have had it since but it is something I would read about kids having in school dinners in Britain and it always seemed horrid in those books – yours looks lovely esp the one with the coconut on top and I can imagine it is big on comfort
Haha it does sound like a bit of a gruel-ish meal in that context doesn’t it? Nothing like some toppings and a nice piccy to fix that!
I didn’t grow up with sago pudding as a child either however my husband did, and he loves making it for dessert (on the rare occasion he does cook!). Whenever I cook sago, I always ALWAYS end up burning it to the bottom of the pot lol 😦 I’ll try your tip to stir it continuously next time I make it!
Ha, it’s such a pain to clean when it gets burnt isn’t it? One time I was making the lemon one and I overcooked it so much that all the pearls dissolved and it turned into a solid gel – it was hell to get out of the pot!
I am loving today’s prompt of “recreate a vegan childhood food” because NONE of them seem to be what I thought people would post. The sago pudding looks so yummy. If I wasn’t swimming in fruit I would love to make this. But for now, dessert is fruit until probably the winter. ^__^
Thanks Jennifer! It’s been a nice theme to work with! I definitely associate it with winter, so maybe when you’ve finished all your fruit you’ll have to make some 😀
ohhhhhhhhh you know, I completely forgot about having sago pudding as a kid! lt was what we got when we werent well – perfect comfort food 🙂
How sweet! It’s funny how there’s dishes attached to memories like that – we always got a soft boiled egg and toast soldiers when we were sick if we could manage, if we had such sore throats it would be soup and jelly.
These photos are great -worth the extra go a round- and I have tapioca pearls in my pantry I can
totally make this! Thanks for the straight forward instructions. I think all childhood memories involve ‘frogs eggs and snot blocks’ somewhere 😉
Haha such appealing names aren’t they?! I find tapioca pearls are one of those things that almost everyone has tucked away at the back of their pantry 🙂
I’m loving reading about everyone’s childhood dishes! I hadn’t even heard of sago pudding. It’s so interesting to hear about all these different foods!
I agree – big fan of today’s theme!
I’ve not has this before but these beautiful photos are tempting me! Just need to get hold of sugo!
You should definitely give it a go! 😀
Great take on today’s prompt! Gorgeous Photos, too! So glad you stopped by yesterday! I added you to my BlogRoll and will swing by often 🙂
Thanks so much Jennifer! And good on you for starting the blog roll, love it 😀
I never thought sago (I always knew it as tapioca) could look so beautiful. This type of pudding is something I remember from my childhood too, but it never sounded or looked as appetizing as your recipes!
Thanks for your lovely comment Rose 🙂
I love the “snot blocks” name. Leave it to dads to make things sound appetizing. Both puddings look really delicious!
Zsu @ Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
Classic dad joke, right? Thanks Zsu 🙂
yum!! I”ve made the creamier kind of tapioca pudding lots of times (I love it!), but I’ve never heard of your lemony variation. That sounds great. I love lemony desserts.
It is a nice variation – not too sweet I reckon. I bet it would be nice with orange as well!
I like sago but have never seen a lemony version like yours before! This, I have to try.
I think it works perfectly – so zesty and great. It would probably be really nice with a mix of citruses too.
This is perfect! I got some sago seeds with my friend a few weeks back- now I know what to do with them!!
Yay! You’ll have to let me know how it goes 🙂