Saagu Kan’dhi

Kan’dhi is a Maldivian comfort food, that is almost like a sweet porridge. Here, we have a recipe for how you can make saagu kan’dhi, consisting mostly of sago, sugar and coconut milk. While it is quite simple to make, it is also very flavourful as it has the rich taste of pandan leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, and rose water. 

For our kan’dhi, we have used Real Thai Coconut Milk, provided to us by one of our partners, Sosun Fihaara. This is 100% fresh coconut milk, which is not made from any concentrate and doesn’t have any added colours in it. It can be used in a variety of dishes, such as curries, sweet foods or even drinks.

Serving size: 5-6

Ingredients:

• 5 + ¼ cup water
• ½ cup sago
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 cardamom pods
• 6-inch pandan leaf (cut into half)
• 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 cup Real Thai Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp rose water

Instructions:

1. To a large pot, add 5 cups water. Heat it up for 10 minutes until the water starts boiling, and bubbles form on the surface rapidly.
2. Once the water starts to fully boil, add ½ cup sago to it. Stir frequently and boil for 15 minutes or until the sago becomes translucent with just a small white dot in the center.
3. Drain the cooked sago and rinse it well under running water.
4. After that, add the cooked sago back into a new pot, along with ¼ cup water, ½ cup sugar, 3 cardamom pods, 6-inch pandan leaf (cut into half), and a 3-inch cinnamon stick. Stir to combine everything and cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
5. Then, add 1 cup Real Thai Coconut Milk. Stir continuously and cook for 7 minutes, until the mixture starts to reduce and becomes a bit thicker. It will still be runnier than regular custard or puddings at this point.
6. Turn off the heat, add 1 tbsp rose water and give the kan’dhi a final mix. Once cooled down, it will become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula. You can serve this saagu kan’dhi either warm or chilled.