Sago
Sago is the starch from the sago palm. It contains no gluten (a protein in wheat and other grains which causes allergies in some people). Sago is a simple carbohydrate, meaning it is digested quickly by the body, yet does not cause problems for diabetics and those unable to have sugar. Cooked with fruit, it is refreshing and nourishing, while satisfying your sweet tooth.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
List of Recipes Click on the recipe you want.
Apple sago
Black cherry sago
Ginger, lemon and coconut sago
Lemon sago
Orange and yellow sago
Pina colada sago
Sun sago
Invent your own sago recipe
Apple Sago
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) water
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
- 6 apples
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or malt to sweeten
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Peel and cut the apples very small (to speed up cooking time) and boil in 500ml (0.8 pints) water until soft (about 10 minutes).
Put the honey or palm sugar into this to dissolve while cooking.
Mash to a pulp.
Put this into a baking dish with the rest of the water and the sago, mixing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Apple sago is good either hot or cold.
Black Cherry Sago
Ingredients
- 500ml (16 fluid oz) dark grape juice
- 500ml (16 fluid oz) pitted black cherries (fresh or canned)
- 1 litre (1 2/3 pints) water
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients together into a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Ginger, Lemon and Coconut Sago
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients together into a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
The spice of ginger, sharpness of lemon and smoothness of coconut make this an adventure to the tastebuds!
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- 100 g (3 1/2 oz) preserved ginger, chopped finely
- 1 400 ml (12 fluid oz) can coconut milk
- 1.6 litres (2 2/3 pints) water (to make 2 litres [3 1/3 pints] of liquid in total)
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
(You will probably find there is enough sugar already in the preserved ginger, without adding more to the recipe.)
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients into a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Lemon Sago
Ingredients
- 2 litres (3 1/3 pints) water
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
- 4 tablespoons honey (or more or less to taste)
- juice and zest (grated rind) of two lemons
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients into a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Orange and Yellow Sago
Ingredients
- 1 litre (1 2/3 pints) fresh orange juice
- 1 litre (1 2/3 pints) water
- 125 g (4 1/2 oz) chopped dried apricots
- juice of one lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients in a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Pina Colada Sago
Ingredients
- 1 can (400 ml / 12 fluid oz) coconut milk
- 1 can unsweetened pineapple juice (850 ml / 1 2/5 pints)
- 750 ml (1 1/4 pints) water (this makes 2 litres / 3 1/3 pints of liquid altogether)
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients in a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Sun Sago
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients in a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Put all the ingredients in a baking dish, distributing the sago evenly throughout.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Coconut, sago and palm sugar are all products of palm trees. Ancient physicians (who were also skilled astrologers and herbalists) such as Nicholas Culpeper, considered palm trees to be governed by the astrological force of the Sun. This is referred to by Samuel Sagan in his book Planetary Forces, Alchemy and Healing.
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) water
- 500 ml (16 fluid oz) coconut cream
- 1 cup (250 ml / 8 fluid oz) sago
- 1-2 tablespoons palm sugar (dissolved in some of the water before adding)
- a dash of vanilla and a sprinkle of nutmeg if wished
Method
Preheat the oven to 175�C (350�F).
Heat the water and dissolve the palm sugar in it.
Add the coconut cream and vanilla.
Pour into a baking dish.
Sprinkle the sago evenly into the dish.
Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
Put into the oven and bake for half an hour. Then stir it once for an even consistency, and put it back in the oven for another half hour.
Leave to cool.
Invent your own sago recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175 grams / 6 ounces) sago
- 2 litres (3 1/3 pints) of liquid
The liquid can be milk, water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, fruit pulp (cooked or raw), coconut milk, honey, malt etc. - or any inspired and harmonious combination of these. If you want a sweet dish, use 100% fruit juice. If you like it less sweet, try a ratio of 25% water to 75% juice for a fresh, light flavour.
Experiment!
Method
You can either:boil it in a pot until clear. This takes about 20 minutes, during which time you need to stir it constantly to prevent it from sticking.
Bake it in the oven until clear. This takes about one hour.
Baking, although it takes longer, is the easier way as it saves you from having to continually stir the mixture while it is cooking. Instead, you simply put your mixture in the oven and leave it there until cooked. (This being said, it may help to stir it once, about halfway through cooking time, to ensure an even consistency.)
The most foolproof method is to bake for half an hour, stir it once, then turn the oven off, leaving the sago in the oven for at least another half-hour. The advantage of this method is that after the first half hour you can forget about it until you are ready to eat it.
Once cooked, leave it to cool. When cold it sets like a jelly.
Send us your 
and recipes.
