You may not know what sago is, but you’ve definitely had it in boba milk tea before. Sago, also known as tapioca pearl, is the tiny member of this boba family. Although it’s small, it’s super popular in Asia. The best thing about Taro Coconut Milk with Sago is that it can be served either hot or cold. Therefore you can have this all year round! My mom used to make this a lot. However, it’s never rich enough in my opinion. Later on someone taught me a trick to make it rich and creamy so now this is one of my all-time favorite Chinese dessert! Let’s try this out today!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of uncooked sago
- 2 cup of chopped taro
- 2 cup of coconut milk
- 2 cup of water
- 6 tbsp of sugar
This easy dish can be split into two parts: One part is cooking sago, and the other part is to cook the soup. The soup is easier, so let’s discuss how to cook the right sago first.
Sago, like I mentioned before, is made of starch, which gives it its transparent look and chewy texture. In fact, in my opinion, 80% of how good this dish turns out depends on whether or not you cook good sago so that it’s just right and chewy.The timing for perfect sago is difficult. It’s very easy to either overcook it and it becomes mushy or undercook it and its core is still hard. Therefore, you want to pay your full attention while cooking sago. The first tip of cooking sago, is to put in your sago while the water is on hard boil, not just simmering. Cover the lid so the pot will go to full boiling quicker. Once it’s boiling, remove the lid and pour in sago. Stir continuously so it won’t stick to each other. After 10 min, turn off the heat and put the lid on for another 20 min. Please note, if you have a glass counter-top like me, move it somewhere else since the glass countertop retains heat well and it will continuously heat up the pot. You don’t want that. In the meantime, prepare a pot of water with ice.
Take this time to steam your chopped taro, cook it for 20 min. After you remove the taro from your steamer, it’s about time to get your sago out.
After 20 min, quickly pour your sago container into the strainer to strain out water and then transfer to ice water bath. If your strainer is not big enough, do it as several batches. This step is usually referred to as shocking. It will halt the cooking process and give the sago the chewy texture we desire.
While waiting for the sago to cool, we can start cooking the soup. First, take 2 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water and bring it to simmer. Once it’s simmering, turn off the heat.
Take half of the taro, put it in a blender with 1 cup of water and blend it well. Keep the other half of the taro and mix it into the sweet soup for texture so you can actually taste the taro.
Now mix everything in: Taro blend, chopped taro, sugar, and cooked sago together. Here is the fantastic Taro Coconut Milk with Sago.
- 1 cup of uncooked sago
- 2 cup of chopped taro
- 2 cup of coconut milk
- 2 cup of water
- 6 tbsp of sugar
- Boil more than 5 cups of water in a pot
- Put in 1 cup of sago and boil for 10 min, stir continuously
- Turn off the heat and close the lid, cook with remainder heat for 20 min
- While waiting for the sago to be ready, take 2 cup of chopped taro, steam for 20 min
- Remove the sago from the pot, drain out water and wash in ice water bath
- Once it’s chilled, set aside for later use
- Put 1 cup of steamed taro and 1 cup of water into blender, blend until well mixed
- Take one pot, put 2 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water, bring it to simmer
- Pour in taro blend, steamed taro, sugar and cooked sago into the coconut milk, mix well
- (optional), if you want to have this cold, refrigerate the drink over night
- Enjoy
Thank you!!! I’ve never been able to get the sago quite right for ANY sweet soups! And the taro sweet soup is delicious! One of my Taiwanese friends says it’s better than in the restaurant, and I agree!
Wow, thanks for the compliment! ~Mike
how do you wash it in the ice bath?
Just pour the strained sago into a bowl of water filled with ice until the sago cools down, then strain out the sago again. Sago typically sinks to the bottom of the bowl so you can remove the ice first and then pour out the water with sago through the strainer. ~Mike
wow
I made it today. Your sago cooking technique is excellent. Chewy and delicious!