durian pengat

I had a sudden penchant for pengat durian yesterday out of the blue and decided that I had to have them so i made some. I love pengat anything, be it pengat pisang (banana) or durian. My late grandmother used to make them all the time and that was how I first learned about them. In fact, my love for malay/peranakan cuisine started from her cooking!

I wasn't sure if I should make them while John was home - As you know how caucasians react towards durian! Durians can be really pungent smelling to those who have never been exposed to them before so yeah, it takes abit of getting used to or not at all. It wasn't too bad and I think its due to the fact that I cooked them into pengat hence the smell wasn't that strong. He did made a comment while I was eating it and said "Hun, that thing you're eating is... quite stinky eh!" I can't help but laugh because I knew he was going to say somthing sonner or later!

Durian Pengat

200ml of coconut milk
half a piece or 1 tbsp of palm sugar
4-5 durians with seed
Enough water to cover the durians
pandan leaves

Boil durian and water in a pot till the flesh has disintegrated into the water.
Add coconut milk and pandan leave and mix well. Add palm sugar but before you do, taste first as sometimes you dont really need that much sugar as the durian itself can be sweet. Simmer for about 3 - 4 minutes and serve.

Pengat means sweet sauce, but it's actually like a sweet pudding of sort, cooked in coconut milk and palm sugar (gula melaka). It is normally eaten with glutinous rice or with white bread dunk into them.