Saagu Bondibaiy (with Saji Sweetened Creamer)

Saagu bondibaiy is a sweet, creamy Maldivian dessert made with sago pearls. We have previously done a traditional version of this recipe, but this is a much simpler, easy way of making this bondibaiy at home.

For our recipe we have used Saji Sweetened Creamer provided to us by one of our partners, Day Food. This creamer has a rich, creamy texture and balanced sweetness that works beautifully in desserts like pirini and bondibaiy, while also being great for tea, coffee, and other sweet treats.

If you are unable to find this Saji Sweetened Creamer in a shop near you, contact 9981326 on Viber.

Yield: 2-3

Ingredients:

For cooking the saagu

• 1.5l water (for boiling)
• 100g sago pearls (saagu)
• 4 cups of water (for rinsing)

For the bondibaiy

• ½ cup Saji Sweetened Creamer
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 6-inch piece of pandan leaf
• 5 cardamom pods
• A dash of red food colouring (powdered)
• 1 ½ tsp rosewater

Instructions:

1. To a large pot, add in 1.5l water and bring to a boil on high heat. This took us about 15-18 minutes. Once the water starts to boil, add in 100g sago pearls (saagu) and boil for 23 minutes or until the sago becomes translucent with just a small white dot in the centre. You can stir it from time to time to ensure the sago don’t clump together.
2. Turn off the heat and add in 2 cups of water to the pot. Swirl the pearls a bit with your spatula or spoon and drain the sago. You can use a sift over a bowl to do this easily. Add the drained sago back in the pot.
3. Then add in 2 more cups of water and swirl the sago again using a spatula or spoon. Drain the sago again, and this time the water should be clear and wouldn’t look starchy anymore. When done you should have completely translucent sago pearls that don’t feel sticky or starchy. Add the sago back in the pot. We made sure there was no water left.
4. To the pot with the sago, add in ½ cup Saji Sweetened Creamer, 4 tbsp sugar, 6-inch piece of pandan leaf, 5 cardamom pods, and a dash of red food colouring (just enough to get a nice colour).
5. Give it a good mix and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula (you can turn the heat down sometimes for a few seconds if you feel like it is burning or sticking to the pan). Then switch the heat to low heat for 5 minutes and stir occasionally with a spatula.
6. Lastly, add in 1 ½ tsp rosewater and give it a final mix. The bondibaiy is ready to serve now. You can serve while it’s still warm or after chilling for about 2 hours.