Honeydew Sago Dessert

Whenever my family goes out for a proper 8-course Chinese dinner, I always ask the person who ordered the food whether we will be having cold dessert. Cold desserts are a much better way to end a meal than a hot one, I always think (with the exception of the peanut soup and Chinese pancake dessert). One of my favourite cold desserts is the Honeydew Sago Dessert.

It's a matter of preference the amount of honeydew sago you want in your dessert. This recipe is adapted from House of Annie.

Ingredients :
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Sugar ; or to taste
2 pandan leaves ; shredded and knotted
1 cup sago ; (tapioca pearls)
1 cup Coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 honeydew melon

Instructions:
Make a simple syrup: Put water, sugar and pandan leaves into a small pot and boil till sugar dissolves to make a syrup. Strain and cool.

Boil the sago: Put a big pot of water to boil. When water comes to a boil, add sago to water and cook on med-high heat. Stir occasionally. Sago is done cooking when it looks translucent, about 8-10 mins. Caution: Don't overcook the sago as it can become a sticky mess. Better to have a few pearls that have not turned translucent than to have a glop of melting sago.

Cut and blend the melon: While sago is cooking, cut 3/4 of the 3/4 melon into chunks. Place honeydew chunks in blender and buzz in your blender till smooth. Dice the remaining quarter of the melon into small ½ inch cubes or use a melon baller.

Rinse the sago: As soon as sago is done, pour it out into a fine-mesh colander and rinse with cold water.

Make coconut mixture: Add salt to coconut milk, to taste. Set aside.

Assemble the dish: Put the melon cubes and the melon juice together into a large bowl. Add the coconut milk. Followed by the cooled sago. Pour in the sugar syrup little by little, to adjust the sweetness.

Chill. To serve, scoop into individual bowls and add ice cubes or ice shavings.