Ramadhan is officially upon us! To get in the spirit of this holy month, I’d like to share Islam-related contents for the entirety of this month. It will mostly be pretty chill and applicable for Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.
So here we go!
Eid is almost upon us, guys! How has your Ramadan been thus far? Can’t believe it flew by just like that. For some of us, the coming of Eid means holiday cookies! I know, it may be too late for me to share a recipe this close to Eid, but for all those last-minute bakers out there, I’ve got your back. This recipe is super easy to make, with only 4 main ingredients—and 2 optional ones, so it’ll be a quick treat for you to whip up—but also incredibly tasty.
Aside from that, this recipe is made of 100% locally produced ingredients, gluten-free and vegan. What a triple threat! As you know, I’m a huge advocate for locally produced ingredients as of lat. After my recent adventures with sorghum, this time I thought I’d venture further with a signature Papuan produce—sago, particularly sago starch. It’s actually more commonly used in traditional recipes, but I’ve never really made anything with it, so here we are.
Sago has so many beneficial qualities for your health. First of all, it is low in glucose—which can be a good staple food option for people with diabetes. It is also rich in fibers and phosphorus that stabilise blood sugar levels in the body. However, unlike wheat, sago is gluten-free so it is safe to be consumed by people with celiac disease. Lastly, sago is a good source of calcium, which—as we know—is good for our bones and prevent osteoporosis. What a perfect choice for Eid, don’t you think?
34 cookies (original recipe via Uli’s Kitchen)
Prep time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Baking time: ± 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 250 gr sago starch
- 2 pandan leaves (optional, for aroma)
- 200 gr desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
- 125 gr granulated sugar
- 80-100 ml water, give or take
Instructions
- On low heat, toast the sago starch along with the pandan leaves in a wok or saucepan while stirring. Once the pandan scent has become stronger and the leaves have dried up, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
- In a bowl, mix the desiccated coconut, sugar and salt until mixed well.
- Add in the sago starch and mix well.
- Add in the water little by little (1-2 table spoons at a time) and mix with your hands.
- Keep adding the water until the mixture can clump well together, while still maintaining its powdery texture. Once this is achieved, the mixture is ready to be molded.
- If small balls have formed, make sure to crush them back into powdery forms again.
- Preheat the oven at 150ºC for at least 10 minutes, while you place the mixture into the molds. Make sure you press the mixture into the mold to keep it dense and holds its shape nicely.
- Put all the molds in the oven and let them bake for 25 minutes with both the top and bottom heat.
- Once they have browned considerably, take them out and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Take the mixture out of the mold and they are ready to serve!
Things to Note
If you have more than enough amount of sago starch at hand, I would suggest toasting them all before storing them for future uses. It will prolong the shelf life of the sago starch, so you can relax in using the rest next time. Always remember to let the sago starch cool off after being toasted. Warm sago starch will not mix well with the water and it will be much harder to achieve the intended texture of the mixture.
If you feel like the mixture is already pretty damp, but still doesn’t hold its shape, try adding the sago starch as well in the process. If you add too much coconut, balance it out with more starch as well. The coconut’s amount should not exceed the sago starch, lest the mixture will not hold its shape at all.
Feel free to add or subtract the amount of sugar to taste. The coconut already has a pretty distinct flavour to it, so I find very little sugar could go a long way with these cookies.
Eid is almost upon us, guys! How has your Ramadan been thus far? Can’t believe it flew by just like that. For some of us, the coming of Eid means holiday cookies! I know, it may be too late for me to share a recipe this close to Eid, but for all those last-minute bakers out there, I’ve got your back. This recipe is super easy to make, with only 4 main ingredients—and 2 optional ones, so it’ll be a quick treat for you to whip up—but also incredibly tasty.
Aside from that, this recipe is made of 100% locally produced ingredients, gluten-free and vegan. What a triple threat! As you know, I’m a huge advocate for locally produced ingredients as of lat. After my recent adventures with sorghum, this time I thought I’d venture further with a signature Papuan produce—sago, particularly sago starch. It’s actually more commonly used in traditional recipes, but I’ve never really made anything with it, so here we are.
Sago has so many beneficial qualities for your health. First of all, it is low in glucose—which can be a good staple food option for people with diabetes. It is also rich in fibers and phosphorus that stabilise blood sugar levels in the body. However, unlike wheat, sago is gluten-free so it is safe to be consumed by people with celiac disease. Lastly, sago is a good source of calcium, which—as we know—is good for our bones and prevent osteoporosis. What a perfect choice for Eid, don’t you think?
34 cookies (original recipe via Uli’s Kitchen)
Prep time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Baking time: ± 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 250 gr sago starch
- 2 pandan leaves (optional, for aroma)
- 200 gr desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
- 125 gr granulated sugar
- 80-100 ml water, give or take
Instructions
- On low heat, toast the sago starch along with the pandan leaves in a wok or saucepan while stirring. Once the pandan scent has become stronger and the leaves have dried up, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
- In a bowl, mix the desiccated coconut, sugar and salt until mixed well.
- Add in the sago starch and mix well.
- Add in the water little by little (1-2 table spoons at a time) and mix with your hands.
- Keep adding the water until the mixture can clump well together, while still maintaining its powdery texture. Once this is achieved, the mixture is ready to be molded.
- If small balls have formed, make sure to crush them back into powdery forms again.
- Preheat the oven at 150ºC for at least 10 minutes, while you place the mixture into the molds. Make sure you press the mixture into the mold to keep it dense and holds its shape nicely.
- Put all the molds in the oven and let them bake for 25 minutes with both the top and bottom heat.
- Once they have browned considerably, take them out and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Take the mixture out of the mold and they are ready to serve!
Things to Note
If you have more than enough amount of sago starch at hand, I would suggest toasting them all before storing them for future uses. It will prolong the shelf life of the sago starch, so you can relax in using the rest next time. Always remember to let the sago starch cool off after being toasted. Warm sago starch will not mix well with the water and it will be much harder to achieve the intended texture of the mixture.
If you feel like the mixture is already pretty damp, but still doesn’t hold its shape, try adding the sago starch as well in the process. If you add too much coconut, balance it out with more starch as well. The coconut’s amount should not exceed the sago starch, lest the mixture will not hold its shape at all.
Feel free to add or subtract the amount of sugar to taste. The coconut already has a pretty distinct flavour to it, so I find very little sugar could go a long way with these cookies.