Sago Plum Pudding
A comforting steamed thrift pudding filled with spiced dried fruit and sago, yielding a tender, dark, and glossy texture.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 170 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 395 kcal
Equipment
- •1-litre pudding steamer or heatproof ceramic basin
- •Large stockpot with tight lid
- •Trivet or upturned heatproof saucer
- •Kitchen string
- •Baking paper and foil
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 395 kcal
- fat
- 13 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 395 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Grease a 1-litre pudding basin thoroughly with softened butter.
- 2
Place sago and milk in a medium bowl, cover, and soak overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- 3
Add breadcrumbs, sultanas, raisins, brown sugar, melted butter, mixed spice, cinnamon, and salt to the soaked sago.
- 4
Mix all the bowl ingredients together with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated.
- 5
Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in one tablespoon of boiling water in a small cup.
- 6
Stir the frothing soda liquid quickly through the pudding batter until thoroughly distributed.
- 7
Spoon the batter into the greased basin and level the top gently with a spatula.
- 8
Cover basin with pleated baking paper and foil, then tie tightly below the rim with kitchen string.
- 9
Place basin on a trivet inside a large pot, adding boiling water halfway up the basin sides.
- 10
Cover pot with a tight lid and steam over low heat for 2.5 hours, replenishing boiling water as needed.
- 11
Lift out the basin, rest for 10 minutes, then invert onto a warm serving plate to release.
Chef's tips
Soaking the sago completely is crucial so the pearls soften and absorb the milk before cooking. Always check the water level in the steaming pot every 45 minutes and top up with freshly boiled water to prevent boiling dry.
Ingredient substitutions
- dark brown sugar → golden syrup (same weight) for a lighter caramel flavour
- raisins → currants or dried mixed fruit in equal quantity
Storage
Store leftover pudding wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating
Reheat individual slices in the microwave on medium power for 45 to 60 seconds until steaming hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the soaking step, which leaves hard uncooked sago pearls in the finished pudding.
- •Failing to pleat the foil lid, which prevents the pudding from rising freely.
- •Letting the pot boil dry during the long steaming process.
Serving suggestions
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