-
1
Rinse the black glutinous rice under cold running water until the water runs only faintly dark. Combine the rice and the measured water in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. The water will deepen to a dark purple-black almost immediately.
-
2
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is entirely soft, the grains have burst and the porridge has thickened to a slow, heavy plop. This is where the dish lives or dies: under-cooked, the grains remain hard and the starch has not fully released; over-reduced, the pudding seizes and loses its flowing, porridge-like body. The finished consistency should coat the back of a spoon heavily but still move when the pan is tilted.
-
3
Add the chopped palm sugar and stir steadily over low heat until it is fully dissolved and no amber granules remain visible at the base of the pan. Taste: the sweetness should be round and faintly caramel, not sharp.
-
4
Ladle the hot pudding into bowls. Pour the thick coconut milk over each portion at the table. The deep purple-black of the rice against the white coconut milk is the dish's defining visual marker; the two should remain visually distinct at the moment of serving.