Palm sugar, or jaggery, is dark, unrefined sugar made from a variety of sources, including the sap of the palm tree. It can be chunky and must be broken up; dark brown sugar is a nearly perfect substitute. This dish is great with slices of ripe fresh mango.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 eggs

　　1/2 cup palm or brown sugar

　　1 cup thick coconut milk, preferably homemade (page 584)

　　3 cups steamed Sticky Rice (page 508)

　　

Step 1

Bring 2 inches of water to a steady simmer in the bottom of a large steamer. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl just until beaten. Whisk in the sugar until the mixture is smooth, then add the coconut milk and whisk again until well blended.

　　

Step 2

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch cake pan or similar container, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the steamer. Steam until the custard is barely set, still jiggling slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 3

To serve, place a portion of sticky rice in a bowl and spoon a bit of the cooled custard over it.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.