A non-working Saturday to Mrs. Chan, means a lot. It means I get to “lepak-lepak” or laze a bit doing nothing much or it could turn out to be a very busy day doing “happy chores” eating a hearty breakfast and grocery shopping at the wet market.
Being new to the Old Klang Road neighbourhood, we are pleased that Irene volunteered to bring us around and get acquainted with this charming place. This morning,after our grocery shopping we sat in front of the busiest coffee shop in Happy Garden, we discovered that the parallel row opposite has so many Chinese medicinal halls cum mini-markets and stand-alone specialty produce shops. Agnes and I find visiting such places a privilege and therapeutic, almost a fulfilling stand in for fashion retail therapies we once had. I know, we probably getting old. (smile)
We take a liking to a tiny store here which sells a wide variety of rice; from Pakistani Basmathi to California Short grain; organic stuffs and plenty of my old favourite cookies sold by the grams in very large yellow tins. Got excited when we saw a row of palm sugar in cylindrical blocks wrapped in tiny poly-bags. Perfect sweetener for local desserts, no overpowering sweetness but a hint of caramel. After all, since the durian season we had been saving up lots of surplus durians frozen in the fridge for either a sambal tempoyak or a durian pengat. So, pengat durian it is for our Saturday afternoon dessert!!!
Well, Agnes and I are not exactly made to toil in the kitchen. Maybe a perfect dish here and there. However, as a “team” we have been able to share courage to explore on dishing out new platters. I need to make a shocking declaration here, I not only do not know how to cook a Pengat Durian; I had never ever tasted it before. I thought it gross and repulsive. Anyway, I was prepared to be a sport. I even asked Twitterjaya if anyone has a perfect recipe. No one replied, I guessed it must have been the fasting month thingy. Anyway, between Agnes and I, we checked the internet and found many fascinating versions. We agreed on a simple and basic one.
PENGAT DURIAN RECIPE adapted from Makan Apa.
INGREDIENTS:-
- 3 cups of durian pulps (we used delicious durian tempatan)
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup of palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon of brown organic sugar
- 80 ml fresh thick coconut milk
- a pinch of salt
- 2 daun pandan or pine screw leaves
- 2 tablespoon of sago (decided to give this a miss)
METHOD:-
- Set stove medium heat, put water, pandan leaves and durian into a ceramic pot and cook durian till soft.
- Pour in palm sugar and brown sugar and let it simmer.
- Put the thick coconut milk last, 5 or 10 minutes before you are ready to scoop it out and serve.
Best eaten with steamed glutinous rice, dunk with white bread or even neat, by itself……heavenly, durian!!!!
Hakka Chan 
I have to say, though may sound a little self praising, a fantastic pengat durian!
hi, tried it today and the entire family loved it! thank you for this awesome recipe!