Black glutinous rice pudding with coconut milk or more commonly known as Bubur pulot hitam is a popular dessert in Asia, traditionally made by cooking the black glutinous rice with water. Once cooked, palm sugar (gula melaka) is added to the pudding. It is then topped with coconut milk. Simple to make but crazily delicious. It is one of my favorite traditional dessert.
Coconut is so widely used in Asian Cuisines. In-fact a lot of the internationally recognized dishes are coconut milk based. Some people are confused with the difference between coconut water and coconut milk. Coconut milk is made by grinding/grating coconut meat and pressing out the liquid which looks just like milk while coconut water on the other hand is the fluid that’s found in the cavity of the coconut when it is cracked open. It resembles cloudy water. Coconut milk is full of fats and each cup is about 500 calories, coconut water on the other hand is almost fat-free and it is about 45 calories per cup.
Coconut water is now the “health drink” and has been dubbed as “nature’s Gatorade” as it is believed to provide many of the same benefits as formulated sports drinks, including the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, but in their natural form. Well these are what the health nutritionists have been saying. However you shouldn’t trust them blindly ALL the time as they can be quite confused. Read here if you want to know as to why I said that.
I personally love coconut water. A chocoholic would want to swim in a pool of chocolate. I would choose to swim in coconut water instead. I have noticed that a particular brand which is 100% coconut water without any added sugar have been flying the shelves in almost every supermarket. I have been having a hard time trying to lay my hands on this. Come on people, don’t drink too much coconut water, you should try drinking coconut milk instead. It’s delicious, silky and smooth. Leave the coconut water for me please.
Oh back to the bubur pulot hitam, you need to serve this with extra coconut milk. It is just more delicious that way. Me and my mommie would top our bowls with lots of coconut milk while having this pudding. Yes, I do remember that it is 500 calories per cup. Judge me if you dare to. *cold stare*
- 1 cup black glutinous rice (pulut hitam), washed and drained
- 6 cups water
- 5 pandan leaves, knotted
- 200 g gula melaka
- 50g g caster sugar (if the gula melaka is not sweet enough)
- For the coconut milk topping
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tablespoon cornflour or plain flour
- Mix coconut milk, salt and cornflour in a pot. Add 2 pandan leaves and heat till it reaches a gentle simmer. Turn off the fire.
- In a larger pot, place rice, water and pandan leaves and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, reduce it to low heat.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rich is soft, but with a bite to it.
- Add the gula melaka and caster sugar if required, and stir until dissolved.
- Serve in small bowls topped with 2 tablespoon of thick coconut milk each.
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