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Durian pengat
Durian in coconut milk
Durian pengat: Peranakan durian pulp simmered in coconut milk with palm sugar and pandan
When the durian season peaks in Singapore from June to August, Peranakan families in Katong and Joo Chiat turn leftover or slightly overripe fruit into pengat, a thick, golden custard-like dessert of durian flesh cooked down in coconut milk with gula melaka and pandan. It is rich, creamy and boldly fragrant, with a caramel edge from the palm sugar and a little salt to balance it, and it is eaten warm or chilled in small bowls, or spooned over plain steamed glutinous rice or slices of white bread. The usual mistake is boiling the coconut milk hard, which splits it into oily curds; keep it to a lazy simmer. Chef's tip: mash half the durian and keep half in soft chunks, so you get both a smooth base and creamy pieces to bite into.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz durian fleshseeds removed, from about 6–8 pods; frozen durian pulp works too
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 2 ½ oz palm sugar (gula melaka)chopped
- 3 pandan leavesknotted
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- 10 ½ oz steamed glutinous rice, to serve (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mash half of the 10 ½ oz durian flesh with a fork until smooth; tear the rest into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Put 2 ½ oz palm sugar (gula melaka), ½ cup water and 3 pandan leaves in a pan over a medium heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until the sugar melts into a dark syrup.
4 minStep 3: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and add ¼ tsp salt. Heat over a medium-low heat until it is just steaming and small bubbles appear at the edges; don't let it boil.
4 minStep 4: Stir in the mashed durian and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to a pouring custard and the colour turns golden.
10 minStep 5: Add the durian pieces and warm through for 2 minutes. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat. Remove the pandan.
2 minStep 6: Serve warm, or chill for 2 hours for a thicker, colder dessert. Spoon over 10 ½ oz steamed glutinous rice, to serve if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does durian pengat take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of palm sugar (gula melaka)?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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