Desserts
Mango sago with coconut and tapioca pearls
A chilled dessert of ripe mango, coconut milk and small tapioca pearls, topped with diced fruit. Creamy and oven-free, with chilling time included.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Hong Kong
Ingredients
Method
Boil the water
Bring 1000 ml water to the boil in a medium pot. Weigh 60 g small tapioca pearls; do not add them to cold water.
Cook the pearls
Add the pearls to boiling water and stir immediately to separate them. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost translucent. Follow the pack timing if different.
Finish off the heat
Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 10 minutes until the pearls are translucent and tender. If a hard white centre remains, boil a few minutes longer and check again.
Drain and cool
Pour into a fine sieve, rinse with cold drinking water to stop cooking and drain well. Do not leave for hours at room temperature.
Cut the mango
Cut 500 g peeled, pitted mango. Reserve 150 g in small cubes for topping, covered in the fridge. Use the remaining 350 g for the cream.
Blend and combine
Blend the 350 g mango with 250 g coconut milk, 60 g condensed milk and the remaining 100 ml water until smooth. Fold in the cold pearls with a spoon.
Chill the glasses
Divide between 4 glasses of about 300 ml, cover and refrigerate at 4 °C or below for 2 hours. Keep the topping fruit separate until serving.
Top and serve
Divide the 150 g diced mango over the 4 glasses and serve cold with spoons. If storage has made it too thick, stir in a little cold drinking water before adding the fruit.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Use small tapioca pearls, not large boba pearls. Often sold as sago, tapioca comes from cassava whereas true sago comes from palms. Use unsweetened canned coconut milk, not a carton coconut drink. The 130-minute rest includes 10 minutes to finish the pearls off the heat and 2 hours of refrigeration. Cooking varies by product: follow the pack and do not serve pearls with a hard centre. Contains milk from condensed milk. Keep covered at 4 °C or below for up to 2 days; tapioca absorbs liquid and thickens over time.
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Nutrition facts
1 of 4 dessert glasses
- Protein
- 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 15.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 12.8 g
- Sodium
- 28.6 mg
Recipe-based estimate; brands, actual portions and cooking losses affect the values. Not a laboratory analysis.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy + documented reference labels
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
A chilled dessert of ripe mango, coconut milk and small tapioca pearls, topped with diced fruit. Creamy and oven-free, with chilling time included.
Frequently asked questions
Are sago and tapioca the same?
Botanically, no. True sago comes from palms and tapioca from cassava. This version uses small tapioca pearls, often sold as sago.
Can I use frozen mango?
Yes, thawed in the fridge and well drained. Thawing time is not included; reserve firm mango cubes if you want a topping with good texture.
Why is there a white centre?
The pearls need more cooking or resting in hot water. Follow the pack and check they are translucent and tender before rinsing.
