Durian Sago with Salted Gula Melaka Burnt Cheesecake

Recipe Description

Welcome, Kuali Bakers! This time, we are showcasing all the most ‘terer’ Malaysian-themed burnt cheesecake submissions here! To enter our giveaway, all you need to do is serve up your most ‘terer’ Malaysian-themed burnt cheesecake using Anchor Cream Cheese, which is the key ingredient to a yummylicious silky burnt cheesecake. Read our full instructions here to win! This recipe is courtesy of Sarawak Gravy for the “Burnt Cheesecake, Let’s Make It Malaysian-lah!” Contest.   When I saw Kuali’s call for recipes for Burnt Cheesecake: Let’s Make It Malaysian-lah, an explosion of synapses rushed from within the depths of my memory banks, flooding my taste buds. From the grassy and fragrant leaves of pandan to the rounded flavours of gula melaka; from the notoriously pungent durian to the multifaceted fruity robustness of nangka. I sought to create a union of flavours founded on my love of Malaysian desserts by combining the sweet, the savoury, and on this occasion, the heady.   Sago, with its tender bite and natural qualities in soaking up the flavours alongside it, is a valuable commodity to the people of Sarawak so it was an easy choice to highlight it in my recipe. One of my family’s much-loved desserts happen to be sago chilled in a fluid santan sauce cooked with pandan leaves and served with drizzlings of gula melaka, so it is fitting that I pay homage to this modest yet exceptional local dessert. My other ingredient of choice is a huge nod to the King of fruits that most, if not all Malaysians are intriguingly wild over. Whether we love it or are repulsed by it, our country is illustrious for it.   Taking inspiration from the flavour profiles of sago gula melaka and the crowd-pleasing salted caramel pretzel ice-cream, I deliberated on the cake layers to harmonise with the durian and experimented with different trimmings that would complement the taste and enhance the bite of each forkful of cake. My hope is that this recipe exhibits the delicate balance of subtle overtones in the company of the full-bodied durian.   The cake is a dual-layer burnt cheesecake made up of a pandan infused sago santan gula melaka base, and a top layer made with the flesh of fresh durian. The components that the cake is served alongside were carefully tested for their complementing flavours and textures. The salted gula melaka sauce is made with santan and a mineral salt from the salt wells in the highlands of Sarawak. This mild Ba’Kelalan salt seamlessly highlights the deep caramel notes in the gula melaka, creating a juxtaposition of sweet and salty. In place of a santan drizzle, I opted for a santan mousse – a light and fluffy element to counterbalance the other substantial textures. Amid the sweet gritty crumble of kacang tumbuk and crushed-up crunchy salted kerepek nangka, I find the interplay of tender popping sago pearls and chewy dates fitting counterparts to the cake’s luxurious velvety texture.   I would like to think this burnt cheesecake’s palatable qualities are the intermingling complexities in flavour and texture that come together considerably well – much like the diversity in cultures and people that come together to form the rich fabric of our nation: a cultural melting pot.   As a proud Malaysian, I hope this recipe reflects my fondness of the infinite fusion of Malaysian flavours – the spectacular taste sensation we are famed for. I hope this “melting pot” of a burnt cheesecake Makes It Malaysian-lah!  – Sarawak Gravy