Description
Strawberry Sago is a refreshing and delicious dessert featuring small tapioca pearls in a creamy coconut milk base, combined with fresh strawberries and coconut jellies for a delightful texture and fruity flavor. Perfect served chilled, this dessert balances sweetness and creaminess with the natural tartness of fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit and Garnish
- 600 g fresh strawberries, finely diced
- 225 g coconut jellies (also called coconut gel or nata de coco), drained
Base and Sweetener
- 400 g coconut milk (1 can)
- 50 g granulated sugar, adjust to taste
Tapioca
- 150 g small tapioca pearls
Instructions
- Blend: To a blender, add 300 g (half) of the diced strawberries. Pour in the coconut milk and add the granulated sugar. Blend the mixture until it is completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed to balance the sweetness. Pour this blended strawberry-coconut mixture into a large serving bowl and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the tapioca pearls.
- Cook Tapioca Pearls: Fill a medium pot with plenty of water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pearls separate. After boiling, remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and allow the tapioca to steam for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pearls turn translucent and are cooked through.
- Drain and Rinse: Using a large fine mesh sieve, drain the cooked tapioca pearls thoroughly. Rinse the pearls well with cold water to halt the cooking process and wash away any excess starch that causes stickiness. If not using immediately, keep the tapioca submerged in cold water to prevent clumping.
- Mix: Drain the tapioca once again, then add it to the chilled strawberry-coconut mixture. Add the remaining diced strawberries and drained coconut jellies to the bowl. Stir gently to combine all ingredients evenly. If the mixture is too thick, add some water to reach your preferred consistency. Chill and serve cold for the best refreshing taste.
Notes
- Cooking tapioca pearls: Always use a large pot with plenty of water to allow the pearls ample space to cook without sticking. This also helps reduce the starchiness of the cooking water.
- Sugar adjustment: The sweetness of your strawberries affects how much sugar you need. Use 50 g as a baseline, but increase up to 100 g if your strawberries are tart.
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dessert will thicken over time, so stir in water as needed before serving to adjust the texture.
- Other add-ins: Feel free to experiment with other jellies, popping boba, fresh fruit pieces, or even ice cubes to customize your strawberry sago especially on hot days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
