Pulut hitam

A very simple rice pudding.

When I was travelling in London, one of the most memorable things I ate was rice pudding infused with fig leaves and topped with pickled figs. As I grow older, I find myself drawn to simpler things, and this dessert left a huge impression on me even though some might consider rice pudding to be nursery food. I’ve been having rice pudding on the brain since getting back, and the other day, I happened to find a packet of black glutinous rice while rustling in my pantry. I had planned to make pulut hitam when I bought it a long time ago, so it all seemed very apt.

What I find wonderful about desserts in Asia is that many of them are such a celebration of plants - grains, fruit, root vegetables, legumes etc. The star of the show here is definitely the black glutinous rice, which is essentially glutinous rice that has not been stripped of its bran (and thus nutrients). It has to be soaked overnight before using; this is how it looks like fully soaked and drained: