Whenever I go to one of the ‘new’ Asian style restaurants such as Chin Chin or Longrain, I can’t go past their amazing tapioca desserts. I am not a huge fan of sweets but there is something about Asian desserts that are almost like a palate cleanser, fresh and zesty and more acidic than sweet. This is my version of one of these desserts, perfect for topping off an Asian style dinner party and a definite crowd pleaser.
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cooking time: 15 Minutes
$$ Medium Budget
Serves 4
For the Tapioca Pudding:
1/3 cup of tapioca pearls
640 ml of coconut milk
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
Toasted coconut flakes to serve
For the Kaffir Lime & Mango:
1 large mango, diced
6 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed, rolled and very finely sliced
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1/3 cup of water
Place the tapioca in a large saucepan with the coconut cream and allow to soak for approximately 30 minutes.
Once the tapioca has soaked, add the sugar, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and bring to the boil while stirring to prevent sticking. once it starts to boil, reduce to a very low simmer and stir periodically for 15 minutes or until the tapioca is transparent and the mixture has thickened. Cover with a lid, remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.
Place the sugar, water and half of the kaffir lime leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly (it will thicken more once cooled). Drain through a sieve and when cooled, pour over the diced mango.
To serve the tapioca pudding, place a tablespoon of the mango mixture in the bottom of four glasses or ramekins and then spoon over the tapioca. Top with the remaining mango mixture and place in the fridge for a couple of hours until chilled.
Scatter over the coconut flakes and remaining kaffir lime leaves just before serving.
Leftover kaffir lime leaves? You may want to make this…….