Tapioca Pearls with Taro 芋頭西米露

Course Dessert, Dim Sum

Cuisine Cantonese

Keyword chinese dessert, coconut milk, tapioca dessert, tapioca pearl dessert, taro dessert soup, taro sago, tong sui, 芋頭西米露, 西米露

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Resting Time 15

Total Time 1

Servings people

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium. Add tapioca pearls, cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Cover with a lid, remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Most of the pearls should be completely transparent. It's ok if a few have tiny white spots in the middle. Drain the tapioca pearls into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside to drain.
In the meantime, in a large wok or pot, put in the steaming rack and add water that reach 1 inch below the top of the rack. Bring the water to boil over medium-high heat.
In a steam-safe plate (that can fit into the wok or pot), place the taro cubes in an even layer. Transfer the plate on top of the steaming rack. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Carefully remove from heat.
Transfer about 1/3 of the taro to a sturdy plate. Mash the taro into very smooth paste with a potato masher or fork.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, add water, coconut milk, 90 grams rock sugar, salt & mashed taro. Bring to a boil. Add the rest of the taro cubes and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the sugar level with more rock sugar if needed. Keep in mind that tapioca peals will still need to be added, so you want the liquid to taste a bit sweeter than you may want at this point. Add the pearls, and bring back to just a boil. Serve hot right away or serve cold after being chilled in the fridge.

There are a few varieties of tapioca pearls. Some are bigger and some are smaller. Small ones are usually used in dessert soup. You can get them from Asian supermarkets, Amazon or even Whole Foods.
Fresh taro can be found in most Chinese or Vietnamese supermarkets. It’s seasonal, so they may only be available during fall and winter time. The one I got was already peeled and sold in a sealed bag.
The flesh of fresh taro can feel a bit powdery when touch, which is completely normal. It’s a starchy root after all.
Rock sugar can be bought in Chinese supermarkets or from Amazon. They can take up to 3 - 5 minutes to melt depends on sizes.
If you can't find rock sugar, you can use regular sugar. But use a lot less. Start with 3 tablespoons. Taste and adjust.
There are many different brands of coconut milk. They don’t taste the same. My favorite one is Aroy-D and you can get in from most Asian supermarkets and from Amazon.
Leftover can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.