Cardamom is a traditional spice in sago pudding.
Sago pudding is a sweet pudding made from sago pearls. Sago is made from starch obtained from the trunk of the sago palm; tapioca, which is similar to sago, is extracted from the cassava root. Sago palms are widely grown in South Asia and are harvested when they are around five years old. Sago palm logs are sawn lengthwise and the starchy pulp is extracted from inside the log. This starchy pulp is used to make sago flour and sago pearls.
Palm sugar can be used to flavor sago pudding.
You can buy sago pearls at most supermarkets and health food stores. The other ingredients needed to make sago pudding include milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Indian palm brown sugar or palm sugar can be used instead of regular white sugar to flavor the pudding; sago pearls themselves are flavorless. Mango, coconut or lemon can also be used as well to give the sago pudding a more interesting flavor. Cornmeal and cream powder can be used to adjust the consistency of the pudding; the pudding can be thin or quite thick, as preferred.
Milk is an ingredient in sago pudding.
There are many different recipes for making sago pudding, but the basic process is quite simple. Sago pearls are submerged in water and allowed to soak for a few hours or even overnight. The water is then drained off and the sago pearls are reserved. Milk is boiled and cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg are added to it while it boils. Lower the heat and mix the eggs, the cream powder and the vanilla and add them to the hot milk.
The soaked sago pearls are now added to the pot and the mixture is stirred occasionally to prevent the sago pearls from clumping together. The pan should be removed from the heat after the sago pearls are soft and transparent. The mixture is whipped and allowed to cool for a while, then placed on a baking sheet greased with melted butter. The sago and milk mixture is then cooked at medium heat for a few hours. Sago pudding is done when it is golden brown.
You can make layered sago puddings by baking each layer separately and spreading the jam between them. The pudding can be eaten hot or cold. As with other sweet desserts such as tapioca pudding and rice pudding, sago pudding can usually be served at the end of the meal.