KUANTAN – Puding Diraja, a specialty from the region of Pekan, Pahang.

Puding DiRaja or Royal Pudding started as a dessert which was specially served to the Royalties of Pahang.

puding diraja - pekan, kuantan-1

This particular dessert is a specialty from the region of Pekan, Pahang.
The basic ingredients are bananas (of the smaller variety as these are usually sweeter), prune, cherries and cashew nuts. Jala mas (golden threads) which were made from duck egg yolks and sugar (another laborious process) were then sprinkled over the top to dress it up. This pudding is best enjoyed cold.

puding diraja - pekan, kuantan

Tonight I had my first taste of this heritage delicacy. A favorite appetizer or dessert taken by local folks with their evening tea, this calorific dish is normally served during traditional Malay weddings and festivals.

To me, the Puding Raja is not so much a pudding but a rather simple dish of bananas bathed in a sauce or gravy of made from milk and custard flour. Almost alike your “pengat” but no coconut milk is used and the bananas are fried first prior to soaking in the sweet broth.

Then prunes and cherries are usually added. The saccharine sweet and rich jala emas is the final touch.
Personally I enjoyed this dessert although it’s a bit too sweet. The trick is not to eat too much of it! 🙂

Thanks to Firefly Airlines for the opportunity to visit Kuantan (this is my first time to Kuantan, Pahang!) and your kind hospitality in hosting us!

All pictures taken with:
Samsung NX11

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. Sean

    Wow, a regal pudding! What a unique recipe. Actually it sounds like it could almost be european, since ingredients like bananas, cherries and cashews are also popular for western desserts. I wonder where this might be available in KL. Don’t know any stalls or shops that serve pahang cuisine…

    1. rebeccasaw

      Ýup, even in Pekan itself, we had to pre-order to have this dessert!
      I noted too there are western influences in this dessert, and actually queried why wasn’t dates (a more common dried fruit used in Malay cuisine) vs prunes?
      No one has an answer for me!

  2. nikel

    ENjoy your trip yo.. bring more photo/video back.. :good:

  3. akuzle ayu

    i thought puding raja originated from Kelantan. or maybe from East Coast of Peninsular lah…hihihihi

    1. rebeccasaw

      I also don’t know, but we followed the local guide, who told us so… 😛
      Hope they feed us with correct info!

    2. cici

      Hye Rebecca. I’m glad you had been to Pekan before and already tried Puding Raja. FYI, Puding Raja is originated from Pekan. Puding Raja will often being seen at bazaar during Ramadhan month. Here is the link of original Pekan’s Royal Pudding..http://mdpekan.gov.my/resepi-masakan-daerah-pekan 😉

      1. rebeccasaw

        Hi Cici!
        Thank you for sharing the link and for reading! 🙂
        I appreciate it!

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