Puddings 🇲🇾 Malaysian

Gula melaka steamed pudding with coconut sauce

A light, buttery steamed sponge with deep palm sugar and coconut, drowned in a warm caramel coconut sauce.

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  • Time2 hr
  • LevelMedium
  • Costabout £0.65 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

6 servings

Ingredients

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Method

  1. 1

    Butter a 1 litre pudding basin and line the base with a disc of baking paper. Bring a large pan with a trivet or upturned saucer and 5 cm of water to a gentle simmer.

  2. 2

    Beat the butter and grated palm sugar together for 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour each to stop it curdling.

  3. 3

    Fold in the flour, desiccated coconut, 100 ml coconut milk and vanilla until you have a soft dropping batter. Spoon into the basin.

  4. 4

    Cover with a double layer of baking paper and foil, pleated in the middle, and tie tightly with string. Lower into the pan, put the lid on and steam for 1 hour 30 minutes, topping up with boiling water as needed.

    90 min
  5. 5

    Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the chopped palm sugar, 200 ml coconut milk and salt in a small pan, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until the sugar melts and it thickens slightly.

    7 min
  6. 6

    Run a knife round the pudding, turn it out onto a plate and pour the warm sauce over.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.

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